The Art of Seclusion
by Ridea
Summary: Amelia Elswood is smart. She knows her position is the most dangerous place to be...but it's also the safest. She's Erudite. She's Divergent...and she's Jeanine Matthews's assistant.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is going to use a mix of the books and movie. It takes place before Divergent starts. A HUGE thank you goes out to my beta Sarah (aka Vorazlov28) and to Lauren for her inspiration. Enjoy. **

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**_Seclude_**_ [si-__klood__] __verb (used with object), _se·clud·ed, se·clud·ing.

1. place in or withdraw into solitude; remove from social contact and activity, etc.

2. to isolate; shut off; keep apart: _They secluded the garden from the rest of the property._

**_Seclusion_**:

1. the state of being private and away from other people

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**Chapter 1**

I'm in the middle of typing up a request when two men try to walk into the office behind my desk. There's an appointment booked in five minutes but that doesn't give them free access.

"You can't go in there," I say. I don't look away from the screen, but I can see them stop and turn towards me.

"Why not?" one of them asks.

"Because she's in a meeting." I finish the request, ending it with a signature that gives my name and status. Not that it's necessary. Everyone here knows who I am now. It's useful, but unnerving considering how many people try to use me to get know Jeanine, to put in a good word for them. I never have. I don't believe in riding on other people's coat tails. I gesture towards the chairs that line one of the walls in front of my desk. "Wait there. I'll let her know you're here."

I send the request off, keeping a copy for Jeanine and myself before finally looking up at them. The black clothing labels them as Dauntless and I recognize Max, one of the leaders of the faction, instantly. He acts as the representative of the leaders of Dauntless. He's usually the only one seen at any of the meetings between the leaders and representatives. The other one is new. He's taller than Max with short blond hair that's shaved at the sides but is longer at the top. If the black didn't label him as Dauntless, the ridiculous hair did. Only Dauntless refused to have normal hairstyles. His face is familiar though. They move away from the door and towards the chairs but they don't sit.

I stand and move towards the door to the office behind me. I knock once, wait for the voice bidding me to enter before I open it. I step into the office and look at Jeanine who is sitting behind her desk. She looks almost severe with the hard-pressed lines of her blue suit. Her gaze is sharp behind her glasses, and even though her face relaxes into a smile when she sees me, her grey eyes remind me of steel that's ready to cut down anything in her way. It's terrifying.

"Yes?" she asks. I ignore the scientist that is sitting across from her as he turns towards me.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," I say, "but the Dauntless are here to see you."

"Ah, yes. Thank you, Amelia."

I nod and close the door. I can feel eyes on me and the hairs on the back of my neck rise. I look towards the Dauntless to see the new one staring at me as they talk quietly. It feels like I'm under a microscope, another specimen to be examined. I want to run far away from it.

Suddenly, I know why he's familiar. He used to be Erudite. He's near my age, older, but I remember him from before he transferred. He was skinnier back then, not as tall or tattooed as he is now, but cruel enough that it was no surprise he ended up in Dauntless. I met him once. I needed a book for a report and he had it, so I introduced myself and asked to borrow it. He let me and I returned it the next day but since then I could often feel him watching me. At least, until he left.

I sit down at my desk, ignoring his stare as I look at the schedule for the day. Jeanine only has this meeting left for the morning but there are more documents that I need to send out and delegate. I want to sigh. The amount of paper work feels never ending and I'm tired of seeing the same things over again. I don't though. Everyone has their place in the search of knowledge at Erudite. The door behind me opens and the head scientist and Jeanine walk out.

"We should have a prototype within a couple of weeks. I'll put my best on it."

"Thank you, Gregory. I knew I could count on you." I watch as the man shakes her hand in goodbye. He doesn't greet the Dauntless, doesn't even look at them as he scuttles out of the room. Despite the fact that the Dauntless are supposed to protect us, people are still afraid. I don't blame them. Jeanine, however, has no such fear.

"Gentlemen," she greets and the men walk over towards her. "Good to see you again. Please, come in." She moves aside, motioning for them to enter her office.

They walk past both of us and my attention turns to Jeanine as she says my name. "Amelia, hold any calls. Also, arrange for lunch to be brought to us today. You and I must speak."

Oh no. I nod and make a note of it as she closes the office door. The fear that her last sentence spikes in me isn't useful but I can't help it. Why does she want to talk to me? There are only two reasons; I did something wrong as her assistant...or she knows my secret. I call the cafeteria quickly, ordering lunch and by the time I hang up, I've calmed down. My mind is whirling through the possibilities of what she wants but I don't let it control me. I turn back towards my next task, another document that requires me to look through the research given to me, organize it into what Jeanine will think will be useful and send it to her for approval. Some of it is on Abnegation and some is on Divergents. This isn't good. In the back of my mind I wonder if all my efforts to hide myself are in vain. I'm smart. I knew when it was offered that my position was the most dangerous place to be...but it is also the safest. I am Erudite. I am Divergent...and I am Jeanine Matthews's assistant.

**[tbc]**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you all for your comments, views and favourites in just one chapter. I admit, I was surprised. I'm glad you like it. Once again, a huge thanks goes out to my beta Sarah. This would not be as good as it is without her.**

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**Chapter 2**

An hour later, and the office door opens. The tall one that used to be Erudite exits but Max does not. He sits in the chair across from my desk and I can feel his eyes on me. I wish he'd stop. I don't look up. These reports are getting depressing, but I need to focus.

"I know you." I look up at the sound of a deep voice. This is the first time he's spoken to me since I borrowed that book and his voice is deeper than it used to be.

"You do?" I ask. If I claim ignorance, will he stop?

"Yeah." He doesn't say anything further so I turn back to the research. What was the point of that? Did he want to point out that he was more observant than me? He's still watching me and I can't help but wonder what he sees. My appearance is immaculate, it has to be working for Jeanine...so what is it? The phone rings and I answer it. The conversation is brief and I make a note to inform Jeanine that the sociologists have a new hypothesis about the factionless.

By the time I'm done, he's moved to stand in front of my desk. "Why'd you choose this?" he asks and I look up at him confused. He's broad shouldered and with his hands on my desk as he leans forward, it feels like he's looming over me.

"Erudite?"

"Secretary." I scowl at him and he raises his eyebrows in amusement. Secretary sounded derogatory. I was more than that.

"I'm an assistant," I tell him primly. "And I didn't choose it, I was chosen." I say it proudly because I'm supposed to be proud. Our leader has the highest intellect out of us all and she chose me to assist her. It's a great opportunity and it would be if I was _only_ Erudite.

"Hmm," he says. It looks like he doesn't believe me.

"Why did you choose Dauntless?" I ask. He bends over slightly, and I glance quickly at the muscles and block tattoos on his arms. No one in Erudite looks like that.

"I have my reasons." I'm not impressed. His eyes glance down and I can feel myself turning red under his gaze. It's harder to ignore when he's in front of me. Despite his changed appearance, he seems the exact same as he was before he transferred.

"I'm sure you do. If you don't mind, I have work to do." I turn back towards the computer, ignoring his low chuckle. The door behind me begins to open.

"Looks like we'll be seeing more of each other," he says quietly.

"Haven't you seen enough?" I snap back.

"Not yet," he says, standing up straight as the Dauntless leader exits the office.

"As always, Max, thank you," Jeanine says with a smile.

"Of course," Max, the leader, says. "Come on, Eric." The two of them leave the office, but I catch Eric's eyes before he leaves. He smirks and I can't help but frown at him. I hope I never see him again.

"Trouble?" Jeanine asks. She's smiling at me from her doorway. It feels like she can see right through me. I shake my head.

"No." She nods.

"Come in, Amelia. It's time we talked." She turns back into her office. I stand, ignoring how my hands tremble slightly as I turn off my screen. I straighten the blue pencil skirt I'm wearing and walk into the lion's den.

* * *

"Close the door," Jeanine says as she sits down behind her desk.

I do so and sit across from her once she motions to the chair. I thought we were having lunch together while we spoke, but it seems like it will be another day of eating at my desk. Her office is neat and orderly, the walls a light shade of blue that is supposed to calm me. I don't feel calm. This is the moment of truth. I fold my hands in my lap to keep them from trembling.

"How long have you been my assistant?" Jeanine has her hands clasped together on the metal desk and she's leaning forward. She's staring at me carefully, but she doesn't have that glint in her eye that she gets when she's about to verbally cut someone down. My voice doesn't waver.

"Two years."

"And in these two years you have become invaluable to me, but steps are being taken and things are progressing forward. I need to know that I can trust you." She stands up and walks around the desk towards me. Her arms cross over her chest and she leans back against the desk. "Can I trust you?" It's a loaded question and I can't answer too quickly or too slowly without suspicion.

"Of course," I answer. She watches me for a moment.

"What do you think about Abnegation?"

I know what she wants me to say. I've been reading the reports she's requested. She's been looking into Marcus Eaton and why his son left, the food rations between the factions and the history of the control of the council. I never saw a problem with Abnegation but I've heard her talk. That's not how she thinks.

"Abnegation has been fundamental in our society and helping the factions," I say. "But...I've read the reports. Things aren't...I don't think what they're doing could be the best for us as a society. I think we could be better." I don't expand and I'm hoping I've said enough. If she doesn't trust me, I'll be forced into a low section of Erudite, barely higher than the Factionless. That would make me vulnerable. Her face gives me no clues.

"And Divergents?"

"Are a danger," I answer instantly before realizing my mistake. I need to sound sincere. "How can we function properly and safely if there are those who will bring us chaos?" It's not outright taught to the classes, but those in Erudite know where to look to find anything. The only thing ever said about Divergents is that they're a threat to our safety, that there's something wrong with them. It's ridiculous. I'm proof of that. It's silent and the room is tense until she finally smiles again.

"I'm glad to hear that. I don't need to tell you that what I'm about to say must remain between us. I'm trusting you, Amelia. I know that you won't fail me." There's a threat in her voice. I can't give her any reason to abandon that trust.

"Of course not. I trust you and I trust your mind." It's the right thing to say because she stands up straight.

"In order to save our society, we are going to take control from Abnegation. Any Divergents found will be eradicated." There's a chill that runs up my back. That's me. "Dauntless will be...assisting us." She says it sweetly, which terrifies me. Assisting could mean anything, especially from the Dauntless. They were insane.

"How? How are we going to take control?" I won't deny that I'm curious, regardless of my own safety. I should care about the nameless others...but I don't. Not when I'm on the line. That makes me feel terrible.

"Communications is working on discovering the information we need to destroy the public opinion of Abnegation. It's already started. The rest is still developing." I nod. The research she's wanted makes a lot more sense now. "For now, all I need from you is to start planning for a transfer of materials to Dauntless." She turns towards her desk and takes a paper off of it before handing it to me. "I want you to oversea everything. This is to be done in the utmost discrete manner, do you understand?" The paper feels heavy and I can almost picture the blood that it's going to cause. I pull it towards me.

"Yes."

"Good. There are certain Dauntless leaders that you'll be working with. The two who were here today," she clarifies. "They'll assist you when you're at the compound." She walks back around her desk and sits down. She smiles and it surprises me how you can't see the malice that's hiding behind it.

"Do you know why I chose you, Amelia?" I don't want to know, but I can't say that.

"I assumed it was because I was the top of my class," I answer.

She tilts her head in acknowledgement. "Partly, but out of all the Erudite initiates in the past years...you remind me most of myself. I see great things in you, Amelia."

"Thank you," I can't deny that her words please me. I've worked hard to be as good as I am, but I don't want to be like her. I can't. She smiles at me again.

"You may go," she says, turning to her computer and giving me a wave. "Send in lunch."

"Yes, ma'am." I wait until I'm out of her sight before I clench my hands tightly. I feel like I'm going to be sick. I've just agreed to help murder others like me.

**[tbc]**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: A bit of a longer chapter for you. I could have cut it up, but I thought this would flow better and you would appreciate it more. Thank you again to everyone who has reviewed, followed and favourited. I love hearing your feedback. Also, thanks to Lauren and Sarah; without them this would have never happened. **

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**Chapter 3**

I've never been more thankful that I live alone. My apartment is small, and aside from the walls lined with overflowing bookshelves, it's sparse. I enter it, turning on the lights and locking the door before I lean against it. What have I done? What have I agreed to? My throat tightens and a sob comes out before I can stop it. My body slides to the floor. I pull my knees close to my chest and try to slow down, to stop crying. It doesn't work. My body wracks with sobs.

I know Jeanine. I've studied her for the last two years since she chose me. I have adapted everything I am to fit in at Erudite...but I didn't expect this. I didn't expect that I would have to help her destroy a faction. Abnegation are good people. They choose selflessness over everything. They help the Factionless. None of the rest of us can say the same. My mind goes over the possibilities and any solutions. If I run, if I try to stop her, she'll kill me. She'll kill my parents and my little brother, regardless of the fact that he's only 14 and we're all Erudite. I choke suddenly as my throat tightens in panic and my hands shake.

I throw myself forward to land on my hands and knees. I'm a survivor. I can do this. I'm not so important that they couldn't do it without me. That doesn't comfort me but my body slowly calms down. I close my eyes tightly and wish for strength for what's going to come.

"I'm sorry," I whisper to the empty room. "I'm so so sorry." Above all else, I'm selfish.

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The car is silent. Jeanine is staring out of the window, watching the people we pass disinterestedly. I stare at the tablet in my hands. The agenda is already memorized but it's easier than thinking about the last week. I let myself mourn the night that I broke down for what's coming, what's going to happen to people, before compartmentalizing it and putting it away in my mind. If I want to survive, I can't let it control me.

"We're here," the driver says.

The Dauntless compound looks as inviting as the people who live there. We're in front of a large glass building. The building doesn't look like much, but I remember reading that most of their home is underground. The one thing I never understood about the Dauntless is how they lived underground but climbed so high. It was one of the reasons I never considered it.

I wait for Jeanine's door to be opened by the driver before I exit the other side. It gives her a sense of importance.

Outside the building, the leader, Max, and the other one, Eric, are waiting. We walk over to them and I keep my pace just slightly slower than Jeanine's.

"Max, Eric," she smiles at them, reaching out a hand to shake theirs.

"Jeanine," Max greets, shaking her hand. Eric follows suit.

"Let's get to it, shall we?" Max nods and leads the way into the compound. I follow Jeanine in after him and Eric takes the rear. The inside of the building is well lit due to the glass, but I stop suddenly as I notice one thing. There are no stairs, no railings...only pathways on edges that led down. The statistics of me falling to my death are high. My throat tightens.

"Afraid?" Eric's voice is in my ear.

"How can I not be?" I answer without thinking. I regret it instantly. Fears can be used against you. I should have more control over myself, despite being here. Jeanine and Max don't seem to have realized that I stopped.

I feel a hand on my waist and suddenly I pitch forward over the edge with a shriek, into the dark pit below. I'm struck with one thought: they know. My heart pounds wildly, my mind whirls over any possibility of survival before I'm pulled back just as quickly into a hard chest. I can barely breathe as I realize I haven't died. Is this a trick? A game? The chest is moving though, and I can hear him laughing behind me. My face burns in embarrassment and anger. This was exactly what I was afraid of and he used it against me. I want to throw him over the edge myself.

"Leave the girl alone," Max's voice calls out. I look up to see that he and Jeanine have stopped and are looking back at us, frowning.

"Please don't frighten my assistant, Eric," Jeanine says calmly. "I'd hate to have to train another one." Her tone is icy and I take a deep breath, knowing through it that she finds me valuable. They turn back and continue walking forwards. I step away from his chest and the arm around my waist.

"Why did you do that?" I demand, turning to glare up at him. The top of my head reaches his shoulder. He's taller than I thought. The smile on his face fades into a smirk.

"The only way to get rid of your fear is to face it." He stands a little straighter.

"I don't need that kind of help," I whirl back around, ignoring him behind me. I have to catch up to Jeanine. I stay close to the wall. I'm calmer now, focusing on each step I take, but I can still feel his arm around my waist and his chest against my back. The probability of him failing to catch me runs through my head. I still want to throw him over.

* * *

We pass a few Dauntless on our way down. They send us confused and dark looks, muttering to themselves as soon as they see us before noticing the leaders guiding us. I watch as their eyes go from Max to Eric and they fall silent, passing quickly without another word. Were they given a warning look or did Dauntless never question their leaders?

The room they lead us to is the control room. It's not what I expected. As soon as we enter we are faced with a wall of screens. There is movement on every one. I look over them quickly. The outside of the Candor headquarters, the Factionless sector, the courtyard of Erudite, the farms of Amity...they can see everything. It's unnerving.

"Leave us," Max says and I realize that there is another Dauntless in the room. She's standing, half facing the screens on the wall, near a desk that has a computer on it. I've never seen a female Dauntless up close. It seems strange to see a woman here, in a place that strives off fear and strength. Most of the women I know are soft, distracted in their research. I know I don't belong here, but I feel it more profoundly as I look at her. She's tall and the tight dark clothes of the Dauntless show off her muscles well. Her dark hair is pulled back into a ponytail showcasing the shaved side. She looks between all of us before nodding.

"Yes, sir," she says, her voice lower than I expected. Max waits until the woman is gone.

"This is the control room," Max says. "From here we monitor everything in Dauntless and in the city. It's the safest place for what you want." He walks over to the computer on the desk. I never put much thought into computers, focusing more on people and sociology. Computers were simple compared to people. "All of the messages are sent through here. Anything you send will need to be in code."

Jeanine nods. She's probably already thought about it, but I make a note in the agenda as a reminder. "And the equipment?" She asks.

Max nods to Eric who is still standing behind me. He moves towards one of the other walls. There's a door against it, almost hidden in the dark. He opens it and through the door is empty space. It's a decent sized room, smaller than the labs at Erudite, but it could work.

"What are the dimensions?" I ask them, opening a file for notes on the tablet. If we move in equipment, we'll need to know the amount of space we have to best utilize it.

"Twenty by fifty, giving you about 1000 square feet," Max answers. I type it in quickly, thankful that he's leading the meeting. The less I have to talk to Eric, the better.

"That should be suitable," Jeanine says. She walks forwards into the dark room and looks around. "We'll need computers," I take notes, tapping quickly on the tablet, knowing that she's mostly talking to me. "Lab equipment. A coding system will also be needed as well." Jeanine's mind moves quickly, going from one thought to the next, in rapid concession. It used to be too fast for me to copy every word she said until I developed shorthand. There are few who understand it.

I follow her into the room and look around. If we set up the computers, we'll need more than equipment.

"How's the ventilation?" I ask, looking up at the ceiling. I can't imagine much air gets down here. There's no answer. I look back through the door towards the men. Both are standing up straight, but Max is keeping his gaze on us, listening intently; Eric looks bored. Jeanine smiles at Max and motions towards me. "Amelia will be overseeing the transfer of goods. You're to give her everything she needs."

Max nods. "This is the best ventilated room in the compound with the computers. The airshaft up towards the back corner is connected to the main airflow that comes in from the outside. Fans are always on." I write it down.

"And outlets? How many are here or will we need to send in workmen for that? What's the wattage like?" Jeanine looks pleased at my question and I watch as Max enters the room with me.

"You have outlets on those two walls, two on the left and one on the right," he says as he points at the walls that are on my sides. "We can increase it as necessary but the power supply we get is constant due to the cameras; current comes to about 80,000 watts."

We'll need more.

"I want the cameras here increased," Jeanine says suddenly. It makes sense to have the extra security. I add it to my list. I look to Jeanine and nod. There's more to do but I have the information I need to get started. "I expect that you will memorize the encryption we decide on and the only conversation about this remains between us. Understood?"

Both of them nod.

She walks out of the room and continues on past me until she reaches the door that leads out of the control room. "I'm arranging a meeting of the leaders of each Faction to speak about Divergents. Amelia, what's the schedule for the next few days?" I look down at the tablet in my hands, clicking out of the notes and into the agenda quickly.

"Tomorrow you have a meeting with Henry, from Communications, in the morning. The afternoon you booked for the lab. The day after, you have a meeting at 10 in the morning with the volunteers for the Aptitude tests this year, but nothing booked for the afternoon."

"Excellent," she says. "I expect you to be at my office at 2 sharp. Write it in, Amelia; you'll be joining us." I do as she asks. I've joined her before, taking notes so that she can focus on everyone.

"We'll be there," Max says.

"Good," she says. She looks at Max and nods, "Until then. Eric, I trust you'll see us out."

"Of course," Eric answers, looking briefly at Max before walking to the door and opening it. I catch a glimpse of Max's frown before it disappears. Jeanine leaves and I move quickly to catch up to her, ignoring the leader of the Dauntless.

* * *

The way out of the compound is quieter than the way in. Eric leads the way and I recognize the turns that we take to be opposite of the way we came in. My hands are shaking and I keep feeling like I'm going to fall over the edge, despite keeping to the wall, but I'm thankful that I'm behind them. It's safer. I can watch both of them from here.

Stepping outside feels like freedom after the Dauntless compound. It's bright and the air is clean. We stop before we get to the car and Jeanine faces Eric.

"I expect to see you at this meeting," Jeanine tells him leaving no room for argument in her voice.

"I'll be there," Eric says.

"We'll talk more then." She doesn't say goodbye, instead turning towards the car.

I don't want anything to do with Eric after the stunt on the walkway, but I'm going to be working with him. I reluctantly nod at him before following after her. I can feel his stare on my back.

Jeanine waits until we're halfway to Erudite before speaking again. "Call the other leaders of the factions and inform them of the meeting. It is not optional."

"Okay," I say, writing myself a reminder. She's not done though.

"I want you to read up on encryption. I expect a report with a coding system that will work for communication with Dauntless by that meeting, understood?" Oh god. I have no idea how to encode anything, especially using computers. Two days isn't enough time.

"Yes, ma'am." Any plans I had for the next two days vanish in an instant. I'm going to be spending my nights in the library. It doesn't fill me with excitement like it used to.

**[tbc]**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews, follows and favourites. I'm so glad you guys enjoy it! I love hearing from you, so it definitely makes my day. This chapter is a bit longer, but I wanted to show the whole meeting. Once again, a huge thanks goes out to my beta reader Sarah. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter Four**

The meeting was pushed back to the next week. There was an emergency at one of the labs and Candor requested a different date to settle an argument in their faction. There were always arguments in Candor and I've never been more grateful. It's given me the one thing I needed: time.

The report that Jeanine requested on encryption was more difficult than I expected, as well as the map of encryption we would use. I read the research over once, then again while writing out the important points before finally doing the report. The map proved to be more difficult. I searched through various histories on codes before finally adapting them to one that I liked. Jeanine proofread it twice before she was satisfied. I've barely slept and it shows. My hair is slicked back in a tight ponytail and the blue dress I'm wearing is immaculate...my face however is not. There is no cure for bags under the eyes. Thankfully, the frames on my glasses do wonders to hide it.

The meeting between the leaders is held in one of the Erudite conference rooms. We're the first ones there, which is not surprising. Jeanine likes to have everything prepared beforehand, even herself. I think that she likes to make them feel uncomfortable, like the fly entering the spider's web.

"Amelia," Jeanine calls me from where she is standing, looking out of the window towards the Millennium.

"Yes?" I ask, stopping my organization of the meeting notes and walking over to her. One of the Factionless should be arriving with soda soon.

"A healthy body is a healthy mind," she looks at me, scanning me over with her eyes. "You reflect me. I expect that next time you will do better." A blush stains my cheeks. I was wondering when she would comment on the exhaustion.

"Yes, ma'am," I say quietly. It's not the worse thing that she could call me out on but it still stings. She continues speaking, ignoring my embarrassment.

"When the meeting is finished, you will walk the leaders out." I haven't had much time to think about the Dauntless leaders, but the thought of seeing Eric just reminds me that he tried to push me into the cavernous pit. I stop myself from clenching my hands. "Dauntless will wait until the others are gone. Give them the codes then."

"Yes ma'am."

There's a knock at the door that stops any further thought. I go to open it, seeing the Factionless man we were expecting with a tray. He enters and I watch as he sets up the glasses in front of each chair. He's dressed in a patchwork of colours from the factions. Red pants and a grey shirt; the same colours of Amity and Abnegation. I wonder what it must be like to be Factionless. There are no rules, no reasons to always be on your guard...just mundane work. How boring and how humiliating it must be to live with the knowledge that they failed. I don't understand how they can live with it, but then again, how will I live with what's coming?

I'm pulled out of my thoughts as the Factionless stands against a wall and waits. There's another knock at the conference door and slowly, the various leaders come in.

* * *

It's never quiet when the leaders get together, at least not at first. Despite their agreements that working together is necessary, none of them really get along. Seating is hell to arrange. I'm sitting against the wall, behind and slightly to the left of Jeanine with my tablet open to take notes. It lets me observe everything without technically being a part of the discussions.

On Jeanine's left is Johanna Reyes, the representative from Amity. Amity, Abnegation and Candor don't have leaders. Instead, they chose as a faction someone to represent them as a whole. I didn't use to think it was much of a system, but after recent events...having a representative that listened to the faction might be a better idea. Johanna is unsettling to look at with the large scar that runs down the right side of her face from eyebrow to lip. It's unusual to see, especially in Amity, and I don't know what happened or why it was never healed properly in the first place, but she's rather cheerful for someone who's been blinded in one eye.

Next to Johanna is Marcus Eaton, the representative from Abnegation. He's dressed in the standard grey of his faction and smiling as he talks to Johanna, but his eyes shift towards Jeanine and harden. It throws me off. I've never seen any of the Abnegation look anything but kind. Jeanine thinks he'll be useful. She's had him researched, sent people to delve deeper into why his son transferred to Dauntless. I've seen her smile when she's talked about him and that's never a good thing.

Beside Marcus, directly across from Jeanine, is Jack Kang, the representative from Candor. Out of all the factions, they make me the most nervous. Candor are trained from birth to spot liars in everything from body language to tone of voice. I don't know how, but I avoid them whenever possible, just in case. I can't risk slipping up and being called out on being Divergent publicly. Luckily, it's not odd because most of Erudite don't interact with Candor. They don't seem to understand that lies can be necessary.

Lastly, between Jack and Jeanine are the Dauntless. There are five leaders in Dauntless but I've only ever seen Max before. At least until Eric showed up. I don't know why out of all of the factions Dauntless has the highest amount of leaders. I'm not even sure what they do. Only Max has been sent as their representative in the two years I've worked for Jeanine. Today, the two of them are accompanied by another. It's a woman with dark blond hair that's tightly braided down her back. She's wearing a blank tank top and pants, but what catches my eye isn't the scar on her shoulder. Her expression is blank, like she's seen everything and is not impressed. I wonder if she knows what the others are planning, if they've involved her too. I hate not knowing. Max is leaning forwards, engaged in a conversation with Jack. Eric is opposite. Leaning back in his chair, carefully watching his surroundings. He's silent. He must feel me staring because he looks away from watching Marcus Eaton and catches my eye. The bored look is slowly replaced with that smirk that I'm beginning to hate. I want to slap it off him. Instead, I narrow my eyes and Jeanine stands up, ending the eye contact.

"Thank you for coming," her voice is grating as usual but I've adapted to it. Judging from the wince on the blond Dauntless, others haven't. "I've asked you all here so that we can discuss one of the problems in our city."

"Pardon me, Jeanine," Marcus interrupts. "Shouldn't you have called a council meeting for this?" She just smiles slowly. Council meetings are open for audience to anyone in the city. This is only the beginning. She's aiming for the head before targeting the masses.

"I wanted to keep it less formal for now. Ladies and gentlemen, the issue I wish to discuss is Divergents." The word alone sets my teeth on edge. I want to fiddle with the remote for the slideshow I've prepared for Jeanine, but I don't. I've learnt to control the outward appearance of my nervousness, but it doesn't stop instinct. I watch as those not in Dauntless look around and murmur to each other. Nothing is clear though.

"Divergents are a myth," Marcus scoffs. "A fairytale for children." I look at him in surprise. I expected Jack to say something. Candor are always willing to argue, especially with Erudite. Coming from an Abnegation, it's...surprising. I can't see from my position, but I imagine the look of steel has entered Jeanine's eyes. If there's anything Jeanine loves, it's a challenge. She's prepared for this.

"Amelia, the slides," Jeanine orders.

I click the button to show the first one. It's a graph showing the statistics of the hypothetical rate of increase in Divergents over the past ten years. I am one of those numbers. "If you look in front of you, there are papers to assist you in following along. They're yours to keep." Johanna is leaning forward, looking at the paper with a slight frown. Jack is staring Jeanine down, watching and waiting, and I can see Marcus looking at the screen. The Dauntless haven't moved. "The statistics show that the rate of Divergents emerging in our society is increasing."

I've heard this speech before. Jeanine's practiced it to me twice, once to make sure I changed the slides as appropriate, despite the fact that I put it together for her.

"How do you know this?" Jack asks suddenly. "Where does this research come from?"

"We're Erudite," Jeanine says. Her left fingers twitch at her side for a second, hidden by the table. She's annoyed. "We know everything. As for the research, those in the Sociology sector recognized the pattern of statistics through the numbers submitted after initiations. They looked into it further and brought it up to me. I was concerned." The other leaders are silent. "Divergents pose a threat to our society. They lack the ability to fully conform into the factions, opposing everything that we and our ancestors have worked towards. This lack of ability to conform leaves most Divergents Factionless. " I click to the next slide. It's a clip of violence in the Factionless sector. She got it from the Dauntless security cameras. "The Dauntless, our protectors, have had to redouble their efforts in the last five years as more and more Divergents join the Factionless ranks." She motions to the three Dauntless leaders. Max nods.

"It's true," he says.

I move to the next slide, one that showcases the symbols of the factions and Jeanine continues. "The factions were put in place by our ancestors to create harmony, a world where everyone has their place. Faction before blood." She's passionate, I'll give her that. If I hadn't been exposed to her constantly for the last two years and helped create the speech, I might fall for it. "This peace is at risk, more than ever before and the threat is _inside _our walls." She pauses, giving the others time to think about what she's said. Johanna looks like she's politely listening but knowing Amity, they won't make any promises yet. They like peace but they vote on everything. I can only see Max and the woman from Dauntless. The woman's face still doesn't wear any expression but there is a glint in her eyes that alarms me. It looks like the insanity that the Dauntless are famed for. "We need to know more," Jeanine says. "In order to keep our society thriving, we need to rise up to this challenge as leaders of our community. Divergents are a threat, but only because we don't understand them. If we could learn more, find them a place in our society that will help us prosper...we could create a better world. One that exceeds what our ancestors created for us." One that would put them in the history books. She doesn't say it though, and I wonder what she sees in them that I'm missing.

"What I'm asking of you is to keep an eye out, watch for the signs." It's another cue to change the slide. This time it's signs of Divergence. I've read through them. Most of them are blatantly obvious, focusing on the idea that signs of Divergence are more evident after initiations. "The clearest sign of Divergence are those who suit more than one faction, despite their choices. Someone who strives for peace, but with their fists. Someone who lies while claiming to tell the truth. Someone who is aggressive but wickedly intelligent. Those who cannot adapt to one faction like us." She doesn't mention the Aptitude test results. The ones that are almost impossible to fake. All Aptitude test results are recorded in Erudite. Those that have to be entered manually are given to Jeanine. Even if your tester tried to help, there was no hiding.

I was warned with my results to not go near Erudite, my home faction...to transfer to somewhere safe, like Abnegation. I didn't listen. Sometimes the safest place for the mouse to hide is directly under the lion's nose.

"In the papers in front of you there is a list of signs with a few aimed to your faction. The easiest way to spot them is in the initiation tests. With this years Aptitude tests coming soon, I ask that you pay close attention to those joining you. It is only through our constant vigilance that we can continue to keep our society safe, or let it crumble around us. Which do you prefer?" I can hear the smile in her voice and I turn off the slides. It's time for discussion.

"And what," Jack asks, "do you want us to do if we find one?" I shift in my chair, moving slightly so that I could see the others better. Jack is watching her carefully, eyes travelling over her body looking for clues in her speech. I force myself to remain still. My stomach rolls thinking about her drive to wipe Divergents from the face of the earth.

Marcus is silent, the creases in between his eyebrows gaining more of my notice than the clasped hands on the table in front of him. He looks concerned.

"Bring them to us at Erudite. The more we understand about these...anomalies, the better chance we have to stopping it and protecting our people...our children." She says it straightforwardly, like it should be obvious to everyone there.

"You want to test them?" Johanna asks, worry in her voice.

"We want to _understand_ them," Jeanine stresses.

"But-"

"She's right," Max's voice is sharp, cutting across the others with no difficulty. "We need to keep the peace," his eyes flicker to Johanna with a curl of his lip. "Surely you'd understand that." Johanna's voice is soft in reply.

"Peace is something we understand, but I don't believe that you do." Her voice gains strength. "Would it not be better to welcome these people? You mentioned finding them a place in our society. Surely we can avoid this...chaos you think will happen if we allow them to thrive."

"And if someone in Amity has an argument and murders one of your people?" Jeanine asks, calm as ever. "They won't conform to the peace Amity requires, nor the truthfulness of Candor, the...selflessness of Abnegation or the bravery of Dauntless." Jeanine sounds more determined than ever. Her conviction is in her tone. "These are people who will not fit in our society, who will bring danger to us all. I'm asking that you be aware, look around, and if you see anyone who fits the profile, inform either us at Erudite or our protectors of Dauntless so that we can monitor them. We just want to keep the city safe." There is a moment of silence that breaks when Marcus finally speaks.

"If you think this is as severe as you say," his eyes are hard. "Then it is a matter for the council. The statistics that you have given isn't enough to warrant an investigation on simply anyone that someone may not agree with. It is a serious accusation. While we," he motioned to the others, "appreciate your concern for our society, I don't think that Divergents are a thing to be worried about at this time." Jeanine's body has tensed and I can only imagine that while she is smiling, her jaw is clenched. It's not a good move for Marcus.

"That may be," Jeanine's voice is hard. "But we're not talking about a moth around a candle that is simply an inconvenience. We're talking about an invasive species, the kind that if left unchecked will dig into the roots and grow until it finally consumes everything it touches. What will happen when you can't control your faction? When our people stop listening, stop trying and everything shuts down? Will we let it grow out of hand when we can work towards controlling it now?" Jeanine takes a deep breath, reigning back the fierceness she let show.

"Thank you Jeanine," Johanna speaks suddenly. "We know that you're just worried about our city and that is an admirable trait. I will need to speak to my faction before we come to a decision," Jeanine nods her head and Johanna smiles. "I'm sure we all will keep an eye out in the meantime, just in case." Typical Amity, trying to keep the peace.

"I, too, will need to speak to the others," Marcus says.

"As will I," Jack agrees. "This isn't something to be taken lightly. We'll speak about it in depth." That was Candor code for more arguing. We probably wouldn't hear from them for a while.

"Of course. Thank you all for coming." Jeanine motions towards me. "My assistant will show you out. We have cars available to take you home."

The leaders slowly stand, talking amongst each other softly. There is a tension in the air and it has nothing to do with the fact that Johanna and the Dauntless are avoiding each other like normal. I stand, straighten my dress and smile. The sooner I get out of the room, the sooner I'll feel like I can breathe again. I clutch my tablet and the folder with the codes closer. Jeanine has turned away to look out the window. I can only imagine what her mind is strategizing.

"If you would all follow me, please," I ask. Marcus, the Abnegation representative, hears me first.

"Of course." I wait until the attention from everyone is on me, ignoring the fact that I know Eric is staring at me, before I lead them out of the room.

* * *

It doesn't remain silent for long. No one speaks to me, following dutifully as I lead the way through the halls and offices, but that doesn't stop them from speaking to each other.

"I don't believe Jeanine really meant to scare us," Marcus is talking quietly to Johanna at the back of the group but I can hear them. She'd want me to listen in. "She's most likely just worried."

"How does it feel to know that you are so insignificant in their eyes that they don't see you as a threat, not even working with Jeanine?" The voice is soft, close to my ear and I don't have to turn around to know it's Eric. My jaw clenches to keep myself from saying anything back. I don't know how he made his way to the front of the group, but I don't look. I won't give him the satisfaction of getting under my skin. It's quieter behind me and I realize I missed the rest of the conversation between Johanna and Marcus.

We arrive the at the elevator that will take us to the first floor. I press the button to go down and the group behind me falls silent. It's easier to talk about people when you think you won't be overheard. Elevators are no place for privacy. I motion for everyone to get on ahead of me, stalling only when Marcus refuses to get on before me.

"I insist," I say after he threatens to take the stairs. I try to appeal to his selflessness. "It would help me if you would get on so that I could complete my job." My voice is hard, but he is wasting time. A hand grabs my upper arm and I am pulled into the elevator. Marcus gets on only when he sees there is still room, and I turn to glare at my attacker. Eric is standing next to me, hand still on my arm, smirking. "Let go," I demand quietly. He does slowly as the doors close but doesn't move. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up as I feel him next to me. I want to flee.

* * *

Outside the Erudite building, I direct everyone to the cars that are there to take them back to their factions. Johanna and Jack both thank me, getting into separate cars and going in opposite directions. Marcus refuses but not for long. I watch him as he gets into a car. I expected more of a fight. The three Dauntless refuse a car, claiming to wait for the train. No one argues.

I wait until I'm sure all the cars are gone before handing Max the folder I have with me.

"When should we expect you?" Max asks, flipping through it before handing it to the woman.

"I'll call you to arrange it. I'm going to need people to carry some of the supplies in. We also have to revamp the power supply, so I'll have to make another visit to get the specifics and decide if we need a contractor. I'll let you know." The woman hands the folder to Eric who glances at it but doesn't hand it back to Max.

"Good," Max nods. "Eric will be your guide in the compound. He'll arrange everything for you."

I glance at Eric who looks amused. They were leaving me with the one person who's already tried to kill me. I grit my teeth, and smile as I reply, "Great."

**[tbc]**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews, the follows and the favourites. It means a lot. I'm so glad you guys are liking this. Once again a huge thanks goes to Sarah for being my beta. This one is a shorter chapter and I know some of you are going to be disappointed that there's no Eric in this one, but I'll make it up to you in the next one. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Five**

My family makes it a point of having dinner together once every month. It's been more difficult since I started working for Jeanine and our schedules often clash but we try. It's more than I can say for other families. Erudite doesn't see much gain in emotions, not when there's more to learn.

"Did you hear? They're revamping that old building next to headquarters. Thomas heard one of the older kids talking about it today. Apparently his father is one of the designers," Brighton says. Despite my mother's many warnings, my brother is leaning forward with his elbows on the table. It's not too difficult a feat for him to accomplish. At 14, he is all limbs.

"That's true," my mother answers in her soft voice. "They were in the archives last week, looking up the old blueprints for the building." My mother is a librarian in the archives. It suits her meticulousness well. She gives my brother a pointed look and Brighton gives a sheepish grin before pulling his elbows off the table.

"Do you know what for?" Brighton has asked questions all his life. If there was anyone made for Erudite, it's him. I'm surprised by the sharp relief I feel at that thought. He won't be in danger, not like I am.

"A new testing facility," my father answers from his place at the head of the table. He would know. He builds and designs new technology for Erudite. He'll probably help build the machines for testing Divergents. Something catches in my throat. I never considered that my family would be involved in this through their work. Me? Yes, but not them. I can't picture my small father causing any harm to anyone, not with his easy smile and hazel eyes. I share his eye colour but my eyes don't shine like his do. "We're working on the new equipment now."

Brighton's eyes widen at the news. They're the same as my mother's. "What type of equipment?"

"The same as usual," my father says with a shrug. "Nothing too exciting." That's a lie, they just don't know it. The new testing facility will be used for Divergents.

"What about you, Amelia? You have to know what it's for, working for Jeanine," Brighton asks. It draws my parent's gazes to me. I take a sip of the orange soda in front of me, biding my time. I can't tell them the truth.

"It's just an expansion," I say quietly. "We're hoping for an influx of initiates soon. We'll need room for everyone to do their research." Brighton goes back to his speculations when I don't offer more. There's an ache in my chest as I watch them interact. This used to be easy. I've kept secrets from my family before, but this isn't a secret about which boy I like or how I read up on something I wasn't supposed to. This is worse.

"He had the nerve to argue! With the teacher!" Brighton's in the middle of telling a story about a Candor arguing with one of his teachers as it hits me. I can't tell them stories like this. I can't share my day. I can't tell them about how I was pushed, nearly falling into the bottomless pit in the Dauntless compound. I can't tell them how scared I am that one day I'll walk into work and never see them again.

I stare at the food on my plate. I'm beginning to wonder if I even belong here, with my family. How can I when they don't know me anymore? I don't think I even know who I am anymore.

I can't eat, but when I catch my mother watching me out of the corner of her eye, I swallow some more bites. She'll persist if she thinks something is wrong. I can't deal with that too.

"Well I, for one, am glad to hear that the factionless are finally settling down," my mother says. I've missed part of the conversation. "The Dauntless has been quite persistent lately and it shows."

"Indeed," my father agrees, pushing his glasses up his nose. "It's good to know that things are getting back to normal. We can't have them causing too much trouble. There's too much to do." I can't stop the small smile that appears. It was a typical thing for my father to say. He preferred to always be busy, which somehow balanced well with my mother's need for organization.

"Right," Brighton says quickly. He's always admired our father. He used to dress up as him and walk around wearing our father's spare glasses, trying to fix things. Brighton's hand twitches towards his face, as if to fix glasses himself before he remembers he hasn't earned them yet. Only initiates who pass earn their glasses. "It's good to see that they're doing something useful in the city."

"They protect us," my mother's voice has a stern tone. "We have a valuable relationship with the Dauntless, one that serves us both well."

"I know," Brighton sighs, looking over at me and rolling his eyes. I stifle my laugh. I have different opinions of the Dauntless but it's nice to have Brighton try to joke with me about our parents. We haven't spent much time together since my initiation. It's another crack, widening the gap between my family and myself.

"Forget the Dauntless," Brighton suddenly says. He's looking at me eagerly and I know what's coming. "What's work like?" Brighton has long been fascinated with Jeanine for her intelligence. He wants to be just like her. The thought makes me sick.

"Tiring," I say. It's the most truthful thing I've said all night.

"Working hard?" My mother asks.

"The Aptitude tests are coming up. There's a lot of preparation." Luckily, that's another truth. I give them a small smile. "Nothing I can't handle." They've seen me look frazzled around previous Aptitude tests, so I'm not surprised when they don't press further.

"Of course," my mother says. "We've never had any doubts about your capability."

My brother cuts off anything else she might say. "Is there anything you can tell us? What's she working on? Anything exciting?" His elbows are on the table again.

"Some," I say. He hangs off my every word when I talk about work. Despite the fact that he says he likes to brag about me, I can't help but doubt it. I think he likes hearing about Jeanine. This is a perfect opportunity though. I can bring back our camaraderie. I have to try. I give him a small smile, almost teasing. "I can't give you everything. Do your research." It works. He perks up in his chair, grinning at me with that same smile our father has.

"I am!" he argues. "I'm conducting a survey, obviously. Asking questions is a key part of forming a hypothesis."

"True, but when faced with an obstacle, you have to find another way," I reply. I take another sip of the soda in front of me. Our parents are watching with a smile.

"Maybe, Brighton," my father says, "you're not asking the right questions." There's that familiar twinkle in his eye and he winks at me. I sit back and wait.

"Is it about the factionless?" Brighton asks. "Is she developing a new serum? Can you tell me what she's working on right now? Do you transcribe all of her notes? Can I meet her?" He barely breathes in between his questions. My mother stands up suddenly.

"Brighton, it's time for personal study," she says.

"What?" Brighton looks stunned. The look is comical enough that I have to stop myself from laughing. "But Amelia was just about to answer!"

"Sorry Brighton," I smile. "Looks like you'll have to find another method of research." He scowls at me.

"That's cheating!" The good mood that built up during my teasing evaporates. I want to tell him that life isn't easy or fair. Things like this will prepare him for that. I stop myself though. I don't want to ruin him like this. It's easier to be happy in ignorance. I know that from experience. Instead, I watch silently as Brighton glowers at me before he retreats to his room.

* * *

It's quiet. My father is in the other room, tinkering with some machine at his desk. I stand at the sink with my mother, helping her with the dishes before I go home. She's taller than me so she dries them and puts them away while I wash. We look similar, sharing the same dark hair and build. If it wasn't for the height difference, we'd be identical from behind. The mundane actions of washing is surprisingly relaxing. I used to hate it.

"Are you sure you're alright?" My mother's voice is quiet, low enough that only I can hear her. I look at her in surprise. She dries a dish and puts it away but she doesn't look at me. I stare down at my hands, submerged in soapy water. I used to think that my mother knew everything. She worked in the archives, she had to. I know better now. The less she knows about my work or Divergence, the safer she is. The safer they all are.

"Yes," I say softly. "I'm just tired." My throat closes up and my eyes feel like they're welling up with tears. I shut them, take a deep breath and try to relax.

"Of course," she agrees. It sounds like she's hesitating but she continues. "We know that you can handle it. Our leader chose you, Amelia, out of everyone else." She places a hand on my arm and smiles. It should be comforting but it just feels like added weight. "I know you'll make us proud." I force a smile and nod. I'm going to be sick.

**[tbc]**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has favourited, followed and reviewed! You have no idea how much joy I get seeing the emails that notify me of these. Thank you so much and thank you to Sarah, my beta. As promised, here's some more Eric and Amelia interaction. Let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Six**

There was only so long that I could avoid going to the Dauntless compound. I managed it for a couple of weeks, dealing with other work and reports while researching the necessary components to building a computer laboratory. When I could no longer put it off, I called Max, cleared it with Jeanine and her calendar, and made an appointment.

Eric is waiting outside the same entrance that we used before. It feels safer to watch him from the car as we arrive. His arms are crossed over the black shirt and vest he's wearing, showcasing the muscles and tattoos he has. His black pants are tucked into large black boots. His blond hair still looks ridiculous and he's scowling in the distance until the car gets closer. The scowl slowly changes into a smirk. I take a deep breath as the driver comes to open the door. I can do this.

"Amelia," he says slowly, drawing out my name. I ignore the shudder that goes down my spine.

"Eric," I greet shortly. I want to get this over with. "Shall we?" His eyebrows rise in surprise, but he nods.

"Of course," he motions me forward towards the door. I don't move. The last time he was behind me, he nearly killed me. We both know this, so why...? I catch his eyes and I see it. He's toying with me.

"Lead the way," I say. "I'd rather not get lost." He grins suddenly, opens the door and strides forwards without waiting. I race to catch up.

* * *

I'm going to kill him. I'd have to apologize to Jeanine and Max, but I could deal with it. It would only be a small addition to everything else. Eric leads the way, but doesn't take the same route we had taken before. This one twists, gains height and goes over narrow ledges. My hands are shaking, clutching my tablet like it's my only lifeline. I know he's doing it on purpose. Each time we've come to a higher height or people push past to get by me, they send me questioning looks and force me closer to the edge than I ever want to be. Each time, he looks back at me with that smirk. Every time I see that look, my temper spikes and I get closer and closer to pushing him off the edge myself.

We finally arrive at the control room. There's someone sitting in the chair, staring at the screens like before. This one, however, isn't told to leave. The man just turns, looks at us, and nods. His hair is short and bright green. I can see the dark tattoos that lace up his arms and slide under his shirt. Eric pauses at the door that leads to the other room. He opens it and ushers me through, his hand touching the small of my back lightly. My skin prickles. His hand is large and I can feel the warmth of it through my shirt. He shouldn't feel like this. I breathe out slowly through my nose, letting him guide me into the room and not fleeing from his touch. I don't need him to use anything else against me.

The door closes behind him and for a second I'm filled with fear that he's leaving me alone in the dark. The thought vanishes when the light suddenly comes on and nearly blinds me. My eyes adjust quickly. I look around the room, gaining my bearings as I mentally recount the outlets. He's staring again. I can feel his eyes on my back as I open my file of notes on my tablet. I've catalogued everything that the room would need to support the amount of computers Jeanine wants in here.

"We're going to need better air ventilation in order to keep things at a cooler rate for the machines. Lighting needs to be improved." I don't expect an answer as I mutter to myself, making adjustments to my notes.

"Hmm," I hear him behind me. I ignore it.

"Once that's done, we can begin moving in the materials and setting everything up," I say. I look up at him. He's watching me carefully. "Where's the contractor?" I ask. They were supposed to supply someone who would be able to make the changes I need. Eric doesn't answer. He moves forward, away from the door until he's standing a foot away from me. I have to look up at him. There's a look in his eyes, almost like he's amused though nothing has happened.

"It's funny," he says, "how she sends a secretary to do her dirty work." The word alone itches under my skin. I want to break eye contact, to look away or hit him. I don't.

"I'm an assistant. This is me assisting." I force a small smile at him, holding back the response I want to give him. "If I'm not mistaken, you're the lackey. Aren't you the one at _my_ beck and call? "

It's the wrong thing to say. He steps closer; the amusement is gone and replaced with a cold stare. I can see the earrings in his ears, black and larger than I thought was possible. The piercing above his right eye stands out against his skin and I want to know how it works, how it stays. I knew he was tall, but he's broad as well, and it feels as though his presence is suffocating me. My mouth goes dry and my entire body tells me to flee, like I've woken an ancient bear from hibernation.

"I would watch what you say to me," he says, his voice low. "Anything can happen here." I pull back at the threat. I remember the twisting paths with no protection to keep you from falling into the cavern. I want to retaliate but I don't. I break eye contact and look away. It stings to purposely admit defeat but this needs to go smoothly. I need to be more careful. I can't bring Jeanine's attention onto me more than it already is. I don't know how volatile he really is, but I can deal with him.

"You're right," I agree, looking back up at him. "I apologize." He blinks at me before his eyes narrow. Was he expecting something else? My heartbeat is still erratic but I didn't think my voice wavered. "We have a lot of work to do. Where's the contractor?"

He steps back, opens the door and says something to the man at the screens. After a moment, someone else walks in. He's dressed like the typical Dauntless, his pants and t-shirt are all black. He's closer to my height than Eric's. His head is shaved and there's a piercing in his lip.

"This is Cam," Eric says, motioning to the newcomer. "He'll arrange for everything to meet your expectations. Cam," He looks at the man, before motioning to me. "This is Amelia. She's a secretary-"

"Assistant," I snap, interrupting him. Damn it. He's doing it to purposely agitate me. His lips quirk up into a smirk like he's just won something. He looks far too pleased to have said it by accident.

"What do you want?" Cam asks. He sounds rude, but the Dauntless usually tackle things head on. It's no surprise they speak the same way.

"We need a better ventilation system, more lighting, and more outlets with a higher wattage of power coming through," I answer. Cam walks around the room, looking closely at the current vents and outlets.

"We can do it," he says, "but we'll need more materials than we have here. What's the room for?"

"Simulations," Eric answers. He stares at Cam, as if daring him to question him. Cam just nods.

"I can have all the materials provided," I say. "I'll need a list and the specifications, of course." It will have to match the dimensions of the room. Allies or not, we can't be too careless with our supplies.

"Yeah sure," Cam says. "Give me a day to measure it and figure out what you need."

"Bring me the list when it's done," Eric says. "I'll make sure she gets it." Joy. More contact with him. I nod when he looks at me. "Anything else?" I glance at Cam who's started to walk around the room.

"Not yet," I answer. "We'll arrange a shipment of goods. I assume you're more than capable of moving them in?" I glance at Eric. He looks back at me with raised eyebrows. I can practically hear him calling me an idiot for asking. "Good. How long will it take?"

Cam answers me. "Judging from what you want? It'll depend on how soon we get the materials. Once we do, it'll take maybe a week or two to get it all in place."

"I want to be informed immediately as soon as it is," I declare. Cam nods. "Thank you." I say to Cam who looks back at me briefly before nodding. I look at Eric. "I'm done here."

* * *

Despite the fact that the control room is now organized, there is more to do. The Dauntless need to increase their security to match Jeanine's wishes. One thing that Jeanine was insistent about were more cameras. Walking around the compound is more nerve wracking then walking into it. Eric isn't leading me over tricky paths, but he is leading me to more empty corridors and he's close. Instead of walking ahead of me, he's right behind me. I can almost feel the heat rolling off of his body. I can't relax. I don't trust him not to do something now that he has the advantage. I feel like the hairs on the back of my neck are standing up. He's too large and he's too close.

"There will be more surveillance equipment in the shipment," I say quietly. I feel like my voice will echo off of these walls.

"Does it bother you?"

I steel myself against Eric's words. The last time he started something like this, he was trying to antagonize me. "Does what bother me?" I ask.

"That you're going to go home, do your research, and be stuck as Jeanine's secretary for the rest of your life." My jaw clenches at the use of the word secretary. "You're her pet, Amelia," he drags out my name again. His voice is low. "At her beck and call, night and day. She does call you at night, doesn't she?" Jeanine calls me whenever she thinks of something important, which is constantly when I'm not at the office.

I can't help myself. Despite the famed emotional control Erudite are supposed to have, that I'm supposed to have, I react.

"Unlike some people," I snap back. I stop and turn to face him. He's only inches away. He's smirking at me and it just irritates me more. I come up to his shoulder and my gaze lands on the tattoos on his neck. I wonder if they continue further down where I can't see them before I glare up at him. "I don't rely on brutality to get what I want. I am bettering my faction and our society. Say what you like, _Eric_, but my intelligence caught Jeanine's attention. While you may be _one_ of the leaders of our security, I have the ability to climb even higher. You answer to Jeanine now. Who do you think you'll be answering to when she steps down?" It's nothing even close to the truth. I don't want to be a leader of a faction. I don't want that attention.

It's enough to rile him. His arm moves and I'm slammed against one of the walls, his hand at my throat. He's no longer amused. I knew he was strong, but application is different than theory. I've never seen this kind of strength, not at Erudite. His strength and my fear are what keep me pinned. My breath is coming out in gasps and my eyes widen. I mentally berate myself. I'm not supposed to call attention to myself, but he angers me like no one else. I wait. Any remaining anger melts into fear. He doesn't yell, doesn't growl or threaten me like I expect him to. His hand loosens on my throat and I watch as he starts to laugh. It's a low chuckle, but it's more unnerving than his staring. I don't understand what's so funny. My heart pounds in my chest, threatening to explode. He motions me forwards and starts walking. I follow slowly. After what happened in the control room, I can't stop myself from being tense. All signs point to the fact that he should have reacted more violently than he did. I feel like I missed something, some key point that occurred in between pushing me against the wall and laughing.

I don't say anything for the remainder of the walk. I take notes and ignore the way he looks back at me. My mind isn't quiet. Despite my careful notes, my mind whirls over every possible reason for his reaction. Nothing makes sense. I only start to relax when I realize I recognize the path he's leading me on. It's the way out.

I stand next to the car with Eric. He opens the door for me, waving back the driver, and waits. I can't ignore him now. It would be too obvious.

"I'll be in touch," I say carefully. His eyes glint in amusement and something darker. I can't place it. I watch as his lips slowly move up into the familiar smirk. He looks like Jeanine does when she's faced with a puzzle. Fear settles into my chest. I get into the car, waiting for his next move.

"I look forward to it." He slams the door close and I turn to my tablet, ignoring his presence outside my window. It's only once the car is moving that I feel like I can breathe again. I look at the tablet only to realize that I can't read my notes. My hands are shaking.

**[tbc]**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your support. The reviews, favourites and follows are incredibly encouraging. Thank you to Sarah for being a wonderful beta. The demands were made and so, I bring you another chapter. Let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

It's been over a week since I got the list. It had everything I requested on it: all the materials they need and an explanation for each amount with the dimensions and requirements of the room. I wonder if Eric made sure it would meet my approval before I scowl at the thought of him. He is a problem I don't need. I am under enough pressure remaining the perfect Erudite while working under Jeanine's nose. I don't need another set of eyes constantly watching me. I don't want his interest. After the last time, I needed to be more careful. I can't let him get to me again.

The truck that is used to transport the materials doesn't ride as smoothly as the solar powered cars do. I feel every bump in the road and it does nothing to sooth my anxiety about our destination. There's a loading dock at Dauntless, hidden away from the main entrances. It's perfect. While some of the Dauntless are aware that the control room is being expanded, we don't want all of them asking questions. The less people know, the better.

Eric is waiting at the loading dock with other Dauntless members. I recognize Cam and the one with the green hair who was in the control room when I was last there. I assume they were chosen because they know about, or in Cam's case they're doing, the construction. The other two, I don't know. They're both men. One of them has tattoos that crawl up his neck and onto his skull. I don't stare like I used to, but I can't help but wonder if it hurt. The skull is a sensitive area. The other one has no visible tattoos on his dark skin, only piercings on his eyebrows and lips. I feel inadequately plain in my appearance compared to them. They all watch silently as we arrive.

I have to wait until the truck is backed up against the dock before I can get out. The driver is supposed to come around and help me down from the cab. I'm not that short, but jumping down isn't something I want to attempt in heels, even if they are low ones. The door opens and I turn, holding my tablet in one hand and reaching for the driver's hand with another. The large, tight grasp on my hand doesn't belong to the driver. I look up and Eric is standing outside the door. My jaw clenches.

"Eric," I greet.

He tugs on my hand, pulling me closer to the door before letting go. I should have known he wasn't going to help. I shift forwards, ready to get out on my own, when hands grip my waist, pulling me out of the cab. I gasp. One of my arms wraps around his neck tightly, holding on as my feet are in the air. My other hand is clutching my tablet to my chest like a lifeline. The panic I feel has nothing to do with him touching me, but everything to do with the fact that I can't do anything about it. Then, after what feels like minutes instead of seconds, I'm lightly set down.

"Amelia," he says, sounding far too amused for my liking.

I look up at him, pulling my arm down from his neck. His eyes are a dark blue. He looks amused but there's something else there. It's that same dark look when I last left him at the Dauntless entrance. I still can't place it and it makes me uneasy. I step to the right, out of his hands that nearly encompass my waist. It makes me feel small, almost fragile, and I hate it. I am not weak. I can't be. I move towards the truck.

"Everything is here," I say to Eric, taking a deep breath. I feel like my voice is shaking. I look at the driver, who is glancing at each of the Dauntless. He looks nervous. He opens the back of the truck quickly. Once Eric motions his men forward, the driver scrambles away from them. Some of the men chuckle. I watch as one of them pretend to leap at the driver. They laugh harder when he jumps away. I should help him, make them stop, but I can't bring myself to do so. He should be smart enough to figure a way out himself.

"Twitchy, isn't he?" I glance at Eric. He's watching the men unload the truck with a smirk. I'm grateful that for once, it's not aimed at me.

"Most people are with Dauntless," I reply.

"You aren't." I turn towards him. I'm not afraid because, according to the research, there's something wrong with me. I don't fit. He's watching me closely though and I can't say that I don't believe in being afraid of people just because they're different.

"Jeanine scares me more," I say wryly. It's the truth, one that he can't use against me, and it makes him laugh. This is the most civilized conversation we've ever had. Is it the presence of the others? That didn't stop him from nearly throwing me over the ledge though. Suddenly uncomfortable, I turn away. Only the driver is left out of the others. "Once everything is moved inside," I say, "I want to go over and make sure you have everything."

"Didn't you do your job?" he taunts. I take a deep breath and exhale slowly, trying to remain calm. I promised myself I wouldn't let him get to me.

"Of course I did," I reply, looking over my shoulder at him. My tone is more snappish than I mean for it to be and I try to reign it back. "I want everything to be perfect. The sooner we can get it set up, the better."

"Of course," his voice is deep and I ignore how amused he sounds. "Can't let Jeanine get angry." I look over at him and he raises his eyebrows quickly at me. I shouldn't have said anything. The Dauntless men return and carry more stuff out of the truck. This is going to take awhile. I shift, stepping lightly to the side, and consider how bad it would look if I leaned against the truck. While my heels are comfortable, there's only so long that will last. I don't do it though. Surrounded by Dauntless, giving in to my body's limitations feels like weakness.

Eric moves and leans against the wall of the compound, facing me. I look down at my tablet, opening the agenda. Jeanine is currently in the laboratory according to the schedule and tomorrow is filled with meetings with the communication department. I know all of this already, having entered it myself, but I need something to do. I feel my skin prickle with awareness and I look up. He's staring again.

"What?" I ask, closing the agenda and pulling the tablet to my chest. It's illogical to feel more secure holding a piece of technological equipment, but I do. It's like a safety net of Jeanine's influence.

Eric tilts his head and crosses his arms. His lips quirk up slightly. "What, what?" he asks. I should have known it wouldn't be easy.

"Why are you staring at me?"

"I need a reason?" His eyebrows raise and I suddenly feel like I'm missing something. I watch him carefully. One foot is propped up against the wall behind him and he looks like a cat ready to pounce. I think of every possible reason he keeps staring and none of it is good. I want to run away from his analyzing eyes.

"Most people do," I say, proud that my voice is calm.

He tilts his head but his eyes never leave mine. "Hmm." There is a lot of meaning that could go into that sound. My eyes narrow, wondering what he sees. I'm wearing dark blue pants and a light blue blouse. There's not much to 'hmm' about.

He pushes off the wall and strides towards me. I maintain my ground and when he stops in front of me, my head actually reaches a little above his shoulder. It's not much, but its enough that I don't have to strain my neck to look up at him. I can't help but notice that he has a long, straight nose and a strong jaw as he speaks. "How's your brother?" My blood goes ice cold.

"How do you know I have a brother?" I whisper. He shouldn't know about him. He smirks down at me.

"He's younger, isn't he?"

The fear burns into anger in my chest. It is one thing to pretend to push me over a cliff or into a wall, but my family is off limits. I step forward with a glare and poke him in the chest. It hurts my finger more than I suspect it hurts him. "How do you know about him?" I demand. His smirk widens, like he's enjoying my reaction. It fuels my anger and I have to stop myself from pushing him. "Tell me!" Eric leans down, his face next to mine. I can almost feel his lips on my ear. I jerk back but his hand clamps down on my arm, stopping me from going further.

"How do you think?" he asks quietly. He's testing me. My jaw clenches and I can tell by the heat that my face is flushed with anger. Jeanine herself chose me and he's_ testing_ me?

He pulls back suddenly and I look to see the men have returned for the last batch of supplies. "Come on," Eric says, beckoning me to follow as he goes after the men. I have no choice. I need to know more.

* * *

I figure it out by the time we get to the control room. The time and space away from him clears my head. Eric used to be Erudite. Either he still has connections, or he watched me enough when I was still in school with my brother that he saw us together. It's the most logical answer. His memory is impressive, I'll give him that, but I'm still angry. Unfortunately, I can't decide whether it's with him or myself. Am I putting my family in more danger by trying to hold on to them? My doubts pull at me. I have to protect them. I have to protect myself.

Max is waiting in the control room when we arrive.

"Go," Max says, motioning to the unnamed men to leave. "Hatch, watch the monitors." The man who doesn't have tattoos on his dark skin nods, throwing a smile towards me before sitting down in front of the screens. The green haired man and the one with tattoos on his scalp leave and don't look back. Max ushers us into the other room. "Everything went well?" he asks and I nod even though Eric answers.

"Yeah," he says. "She wants do inventory though." Eric nods in my direction. Max looks at me.

"As I told Eric," I say, "I want to make sure you have everything." I open the tablet and find the right file. "Let's get this over with. I need someone to assist me."

"Eric will," Max says. His tone is light but I can see sternness in his eyes. Eric raises his eyebrows at Max before turning towards me. It's an interesting exchange and it's enough to explain the slight tension in the room. Max is exuding his authority. Even though the leadership is supposedly equal in Dauntless, did experience rank the leaders against one another? Cam leans against one of the walls, watching us all. Despite the fact that Max and Eric brought him on, he's an unknown variable. I don't like it. There are too many unknown variables surrounding me.

"Well?" I look up at the sound of Eric's deep voice. He sounds annoyed and I have to stop my own smirk. He's not infallible.

"I'm going to read out what you should have, and you tell me if it's there," I say.

"Okay."

* * *

It doesn't take long before all the supplies are counted for. Surprisingly, Eric was on his best behaviour during the process. It seemed that having other people around tempered his actions towards me. If I could only remain surrounded by people, this might go smoothly.

"Alright," I say, closing the tablet. I look towards Cam and he stops his discussion with Max. "How long will it take before it's ready?"

Cam shrugs. "About two weeks, but longer if something comes up."

"Make sure it doesn't," I say, channeling my inner Jeanine. It's alarming how easily it comes to me. "I want to be informed _immediately_ once it's finished, understood?"

Cam nods.

"Good."

I turn towards Max. "I need to get back to Erudite." I'm hoping he'll lead me out himself, or send Cam, but it doesn't happen. Max's eyes look past me and Eric steps forward, away from the boxes.

"Follow me," Eric says, opening the door and motioning me out. I leave with him behind me.

* * *

"What's so important at Erudite?" Eric asks and I look back at him in confusion. He waves his fingers in my direction. "You're racing."

"I'm not racing," I say. "I want to get back before my driver has a heart attack." I continue forwards in the direction he gave me when I hear his pace quicken behind me. My body tenses. I'm pulled to a stop as his arm goes around my waist and pulls me back into his chest. I'm still facing forwards but I can feel his chest move against my back with every breath. If I lean back, my head will rest on his shoulder. What is he doing? My brain runs through all logical explanations and nothing makes sense.

"Are you sure that's the only reason?" his voice is in my ear, quiet in the empty corridor. I can't help the shiver that runs down my spine. His voice sounds promising, like he knows something that I don't, but he'll tell me. My heart pounds.

"That, and I have a large amount of work waiting for me." His grip is tight but he lets me push his hand away. I move away from him, suddenly desperate for space. He's too close and I can't think. "The sooner this is done, the less I have to be here."

"Don't like us?" he asks. That dark, amused look is in his eyes again but the shadows of the corridor make it look fiercer.

"I'm Erudite," I say slowly. I don't know what he wants. "Of course I don't like you. You're insane." He laughs that low chuckle again before walking past me, brushing my shoulder with his arm. Irritation flares up in me. Why must he keep touching me?

"Of course we are," he says. "We're Dauntless."

My driver is waiting inside the truck. He looks relieved to see me when I open the door, but I ignore him. I have more pressing matters to deal with and if he can't deal with being left alone for an hour, that's not my problem. I turn towards Eric.

"Be sure to inform me as soon as the room is ready. I want to get everything prepared as soon as possible." I wait for him to nod before I continue. "I also want the status update on those security cameras. We'll be linking the feeds to Erudite."

"I'll inform you immediately," he says with a smirk. I don't like the way he says it, like there's some connotation that I'm missing.

"Good," I say. I turn to the truck, grasping the rail to try and pull myself up into the cab. I feel the weight of his hands on my waist before he lifts me high enough that I can easily climb in. My throat tightens and I look out at him. "Thank you."

He nods. "I'll see you soon," he says. I hope not. I reach for the door but he grabs it and slams it shut for me. My eyes narrow as I watch him through the window. He's a contradiction, an enigma. He's confusing me and I don't like it.

I look at the driver. "Let's go." The sooner I'm away from this place, the better.

**[tbc]**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I cannot express my thanks in words to you guys. All these notifications about follows, favourites and reviews are overwhelming. Thank you all so much! I love hearing from you, and to be honest, I was a little stuck with how to proceed but the reviews made me push through it. This one is for all of you. (Also, as usual, thank you so much to Sarah (aka vorazlov28), my beta. If you haven't read her fic Lost In The Echo, you really should. She's fantastic!) Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

I've never been more wary of the Aptitude tests than I am now. Jeanine has demanded that any inconclusive or manually entered results be brought straight to her...by me. I know what she's looking for. Divergents don't test well, not in simulations. Most of the children on the list won't know why it's inconclusive. They won't know what's wrong with them or why it is enough to sentence them to death.

"Amelia," a woman's voice calls my name. I look up from my desk to see Catherine striding towards me. She looks formidable as always. Her dark skin contrasts the pale blue dress she wears and her hair is slicked back in a tight knot. She's holding a paper in one of her hands. It must be the results. My chest tightens.

"Catherine," I smile and nod. She doesn't smile back. Catherine is older than me by a few years. She used to be friendly until I became Jeanine's assistant. I would say that she's jealous, but Catherine has always been pure Erudite and jealousy is an illogical, useless emotion. It's possible that she is though. Despite the direct focus of each faction, that doesn't stop from people from feeling any emotions...it just changes how they deal with them. This is my biggest problem with my Divergence. Logic, want and emotion remain consistently at war.

"Is Jeanine in her office?" she asks, pulling me from my thoughts. "I have the results she asked for." I reach out for them but she doesn't offer them forward.

"She's in the lab. I'll make sure she gets them," I say. Jeanine's lab is private and no one in Erudite dares to disturb her. Not when she could be making the next big discovery. The light glints off of her glasses and her lips press together momentarily before she hands me the sheet. I don't look at the names. I don't want to know.

"Tell her if she needs anything, I'm happy to assist her," Catherine says.

I nod. "Of course." She stares at me for a moment before turning and leaving the way she came. I wait until she's out of sight before I stand up and grab my tablet and the paper. Jeanine wanted the results immediately. 

* * *

Jeanine's lab is smaller than the other labs in Headquarters. She'll send out work to other labs, usually the more tedious aspects, but she prefers to work on her own. That way, there's no one else who can ruin her work. She's a little paranoid about it too. It explains why she's been talking about upgrading the security measures, away from the current finger print scanner and sealed door.

The hallway is empty and I turn into the lab only to stop suddenly. The way is blocked. The door behind me closes and locks shut. There are lights coming from the blue walls and the floor. My heart rate rises in panic. What is this? Has Jeanine finally found out about me? Is this a new form of torture? My hands clench tightly on the tablet and list as the lights focus on me. They appear to be scanning me. What do they see? I look back towards the door I came in from. There's no way out.

"Amelia Elswood," I jump at the sound of an automated voice. I can't tell where it's coming from though. "8th generation." 8th generation? What does that mean? "Faction of origin: Erudite. Selected faction: Erudite. Authorized." The door across from me opens and I have to blink at the sudden light. I move out of the room and into the lab quickly. The white walls seem unusually bright with the lighting, making the rectangular room look larger than it is. Everything, from the computers to the beakers, is organized, neat and clearly labelled.

"Jeanine?" I call out. She's staring at a light box that's posted on a wall. There are scans hung up on it and as I get closer, I recognize them to be scans of the brain. Jeanine looks over as I get near.

"What do you see?" she asks, gesturing to the pictures. I stand next to her and face them. There's nothing unusual that pops out but I have to drag up what I've learnt about the brain at school.

"The temporal lobe is fairly large, and the hippocampus is larger than usual," I answer. The temporal lobe is in charge of memory, learning, language and emotions. Jeanine is looking at me like she's waiting for something. The hippocampus is also important to memory. I remember her lecture on how the brains of those in each faction differ from each other. "Is it an Erudite?" Jeanine nods and smiles.

"That's right," she says. "Once we find our test subjects, we'll compare the results. Further testing will help decide how the simulations affect the Divergents and how we can overcome them." She sounds pleased. It's another challenge that awaits her.

"I have the results," I say, handing her the paper in my hands. "Catherine brought them a few minutes ago. I would have been here sooner but your new...security delayed me."

"What did you think?" she asks.

"It surprised me."

"Anyone not authorized is subjected to a simulation and then to death." She says it so matter of fact, like there is no other solution possible. I shouldn't be surprised by her anymore, but I am. It seems rash, even with her paranoia. I don't let my surprise show. Jeanine looks down at the list. "Tomorrow, I want you to take note of who changes their faction and who doesn't. Pay close attention to these," she hands the paper back to me. I don't want it. I don't want to be responsible for what might happen to them, but I take it. "Have the rooms been prepared for the initiates?"

I open up my tablet before I answer her. "Yes. Separate rooms for the boys and girls, close to the study areas. The librarians have been reminded to take note of who remains in the library the longest. The tests should be arriving from the teachers by the end of the day."

"Good. Inform me when they arrive. That's all." I know a dismissal when I hear one. Jeanine turns away from me, heading to one of the computers on the desk. I go back the way I arrived. My stomach clenches when I get into the little blue room. I half expect it to scan me again, even if only in search of stolen work but it doesn't. Instead, I leave the lab with fear settling into my stomach. Jeanine didn't tell me about the new security. It reminds me that she could be hiding anything from me and I won't know until it's too late. It's a sobering thought.

I'm in the elevator going down when I finally look at the list. Four names out of forty-three kids. I hope they're smart. 

* * *

Choosing day is always the same. A representative or leader of a faction leads the process, saying a variation of the same speech explaining our society's history and the choice that lays in front of them. This year, it's Jack Kang.

"Welcome to this year's Choosing Ceremony; a time when the youth of our city make the most important decision of their lives," he says with a smile. I'm sitting close to the front of the Erudite section, next to Jeanine. The room is quiet, but I can see some of the children shifting where they're standing off to the side, away from their families. It makes the division between them and us so much clearer. "Our ancestors created the factions in search of peace in a time of war. Each faction represents a quality that they thought might be the key to this peace: Candor's honesty, Erudite's intelligence, Amity's kindness, Abnegation's selflessness and Dauntless's bravery." He motions to where factions sit as he lists their qualities. "We are united by this, for while each faction enhances our society with their individual traits, we go beyond that, working together to maintain the peace of our ancestors. Our factions are our life and in them we find our meaning and purpose. I know that you will choose well." He smiles at the group of children. "Let us celebrate this day as we welcome our new initiates, and our dependents make their choice." The hall roars with applause and I clap along politely. There's nothing exciting about this.

Jack moves behind the large bowls where the choice is made and calls out the first name. "Robert Ward." He isn't on the list. The boy moves forward to the bowl, dressed in the black and white of Candor. He takes the knife from Jack and drips his blood in the bowl of glass. Candor welcomes him back.

I look around the room. The first name on the list likely to come up starts with an R. I look at the soon to be initiates, wondering if I can guess which ones are the ones on the list. Are they the ones who look nervous, twitchy as they wait for their turn? Or are they like I was, confident in their decision?

Closest to the group of kids are the Dauntless. A sea of black that cheers and stomps as they welcome an initiate; Derek Taylor. The boy returned to his home faction and blends in perfectly. Continuing my perusal, I can see Eric, recognizing him easily from how often I've spent time with him lately. I quickly look away. I still don't know how to deal with him. He seems adamant in invading my personal space when we're alone and I can't seem to think around him. That's not good. My mind is the key to my survival. The one good thing about welcoming initiates is that it will give me time to think about it.

"Vera Rayne." The first on the list. I watch as the Amity girl walks up to the stage with a smile. She doesn't look nervous. She takes the blade from Jack and slices her palm with a wince. Her hand lingers for a moment before she moves and chooses Erudite. I hold back a sigh and mark it down in my tablet. Regardless of my choice, I don't think anyone who is Divergent should be near Erudite. Nonetheless, I clap as we welcome her into the faction. I half hope she doesn't make it, that she ends up factionless. She might be safer.

The next one on the list is an Erudite. Sarah Mercer. She stumbles as she walks up to the platform and her face turns red in embarrassment as some of the Dauntless and Candor laugh. She takes the blade Jack offers her and doesn't hesitate. She chooses Abnegation. They clap politely and I can see Jeanine's eyes tighten at the sides, betraying her annoyance at one of her people leaving for a faction she dislikes. I mark it down. So far, all of the names on the list have transferred. I don't think it matters though. If Jeanine has her way, no faction is safe.

"Henry Foster," Jack calls the next on the list. A boy in Candor black and white struts forward, away from the remaining dependents. He takes the knife quickly from Jack and drips his blood onto the hot coals. The Dauntless cheer but my heart sinks. It's the second most dangerous place for Divergents and I don't think he'll survive. Not with Eric and Max there. The only place more dangerous would be Erudite where Jeanine would have a closer eye on him. I write it down, feeling like I've just signed his death.

The last is Charles Chu. He moves forward carefully, as if aware of all the eyes on him. He takes the blade with a smile and pauses before he cuts his hand. He waits, looking over the bowls. I want to tell him to choose Abnegation or Amity, but instead the young Erudite chooses Candor. There are murmurs through the Erudite faction around me. They've lost another one and to _Candor_ of all factions. Candor is well known for their use of the truth serum, forcing your secrets out into the daylight. I hope he knows what he's doing.

* * *

The Ceremony is over and the Dauntless leave in a rush, yelling and running out of the building. I stand with Jeanine and watch as the new Erudite initiates talk to one another. It's a small group this year. I move forwards with Jeanine, close to the stage and face them. Jeanine nods to me.

"Erudite!" I call out and watch as they all turn towards me. The Abnegation sector is quietly talking amongst themselves as they wait. Amity is greeting each other with hugs as they leave through another entrance. "Follow me." We save the introductions for when we're away from the other factions.

The group follows Jeanine and I out of the building to Erudite headquarters. It's a short walk but it doesn't stop the new ones from talking. Once we are in the Erudite building, Jeanine stops to face them. The families who came to the Ceremony drift off, going back to their work. If their children stayed, they'd see them on Visiting Day.

"Welcome," Jeanine says with a smile. The group quiets down. We've received about thirteen initiates this year between the transfers and those that were born into Erudite. "I am Jeanine Matthews, leader of Erudite. You will have separate sleeping quarters arranged by gender." Her voice goes hard, "these are _not_ to be changed. The library will be open to you at all times. You will be required to submit an independent study project at the end of the initiation as well as pass the tests given. Those who do not pass will be sent to the factionless."

Some of the initiates mutter between themselves but no one speaks up. Behind them, I can see Riley Givens appearing from the elevators. One of the top educators, he would be leading the initiation. I lean over slightly towards Jeanine.

"Riley is here, ma'am," I say softly. She looks above the initiates and motions him forward. Some of them look back, looking for who she's motioning for. Riley walks around them. He's tall and gangly, with sandy blond hair that is cut just short enough to be neat. His glasses are large, obscuring his face and the keen intellect behind his eyes. He smiles at us both as he arrives, stopping on the other side of Jeanine.

"This is Riley Givens," Jeanine says. "He will be leading you through your initiation as well as through the rules of Erudite. You have chosen to be the new generation of Erudite. I expect only the best from you," she pauses and looks over the initiates. It's enough to cause some of them to look nervous. "I look forward to hearing your results. Good luck." She turns away from the initiates and heads toward the elevators. I follow, hearing Riley introduce himself behind us. She waits until we're alone in the elevator before she speaks. "What are the results?"

I open my tablet to the file where I've marked down the names and chosen factions. "All of them have transferred to Erudite, Dauntless, Abnegation and Candor."

"I want reports on the Erudite transfer. I want to know what she's researching," she says. I wonder if she did the same when I entered. Had I been under watch without knowing, or was it different since I was Erudite born? "Inform Max and Eric to keep a close eye on their transfer. When is the next meeting with Candor?"

I open the agenda quickly. "The next council meeting is in a month." Jeanine's lips press together. She's not pleased but she doesn't demand anything sooner.

"How is the construction going?" she asks instead.

"It should be done within the next week and a half. I've asked them to inform me immediately once it's finished so we can start getting everything moved in."

"Good." The elevator doors open and we step out towards her office. "I want to see it when it is completed."

"Yes, ma'am," I say. We get to her office and she pauses at her door before facing me.

"We may be in luck," Jeanine says. "If that girl is what we think she is, this will increase the pace of our research that much faster." My heart feels like it's stopped. _Our_ research? "I'll be in the lab this evening. Hold all my calls." Jeanine goes into her office and closes the door. I have to stop myself from collapsing into my chair. I heard her right. Our. She said our.

**[tbc]**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Oh my goodness, I can't tell you how amazed I am at the response this has gotten so far. Thank you all so much! I'm sorry for the delay in the new chapter. There's been a lot going on and I have a new nephew now, so it's all very exciting. I was hoping to have more written ahead of what I post, but I got stuck with some writer's block and I think you all deserve this. Thank you for reviewing, favouriting and following! It means the world to me. Thank you also to Sarah who is the best beta I can ask for.**

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

The next two weeks fly by. One of the initiates has already failed, having a mental breakdown as he prepped for his individual project. Vera, the possible Divergent, has chosen serums and how they work as her project. It's a dangerous choice. Jeanine has developed many of the serums and her interest has increased in the girl. She might let her finish the project before she makes her decision, just to see what the girl has to offer.

I haven't been able to stop thinking about Jeanine calling it our research. Despite the fact that she may have been projecting, seeing me as an extension of herself, it makes me nervous. It feels like added responsibility, like I'm doing it willingly instead of just trying to protect myself. I hate it. Guilt creeps up on me like a virus. I'm doing my best to shut it down, to stop thinking of what I'm helping and focus on my family. It doesn't always work. My throat tightens, my hands shake, and my stomach rolls. Nausea floods over me, goose bumps prickle over my skin when I even read anything about Vera. I need it to stop. I can't afford to react to this, not when it's likely to get worse.

It's the end of the day when Riley walks up to my desk. Reports about the initiates are sent in daily. The librarians tell me how much time each initiate has spent in the library. It's evidence that they will work hard and do research, which will work in their favour. Riley usually writes about the results of each test. The tests are sometimes random, and sometimes the initiates are warned, but judging form the look on Riley's face, today's results aren't good. I wait until he's in front my desk before I look up at him.

"Can I help you?" I ask. Usually he sends his reports in via message. This is the first time I've seen him since the Choosing Ceremony. He smiles widely. Riley has never been one of the people who have tried to use me to get close to Jeanine but I still don't trust him. I've seen him with others. Despite being one of the top educators in Erudite, he can be cruel to anyone he thinks less of.

"Amelia," he says, "how long have we known each other?" His glasses glint in the light, blocking my view of his eyes.

"We've known of each other for two years," I reply. Riley is older than me, closer to his thirties and highly ambitious. He was rising to the top before I came into the game. I never paid much attention to him, noticing him only when my work involved him. Even then it was fleetingly.

"I've been thinking," he says, leaning against my desk. I bite the inside of my cheek to keep myself from replying. He looks like he wants something and I'm curious as to what it is. "You're one of Erudite's top members and so am I. I'm aware that you're single." My eyes narrow. What is he getting at? "And so am I. I propose that we work together to solve this. We could be the solution to each others problem." Dread settles in the pit of my stomach.

"What problem?" I ask.

"We could marry each other, that way it is out of the way, and we can continue to focus on our work," he says with a smile. I stare at him in disbelief. I was getting proposed to...by theory? I have to stop myself from laughing in disbelief. "Both of us are at the top of our sectors, I don't see a problem in attractiveness on either side and our genes together will bring forth the next generation of higher intellect." He looks proud and I have to wipe the stunned look off of my face. The next generation? I'll consider myself lucky if I make it through my generation. Divergence might be genetic. I didn't want to expose any children of my future to the same fear I live with.

The problem is his proposal isn't that uncommon. Erudite's focus is on work, on furthering society through intelligence. There are often marriages that are made simply for the act of procreating. There are laws in place that every family in each faction must provide at least two children to society. I had been so wrapped up in my fear, I never considered that it would be a possibility. No one had ever been interested in me like this, or I've never noticed if they have. It was odd to consider.

"Amelia?"

I look at Riley quickly and force a smile. He looks a little concerned. "Thank you," I say. "It certainly does seem logical." He smiles widely and I wonder briefly if I could marry him. If I wasn't Divergent would I end up with him? His gangly limbs remind me of my brother who has yet to grow into his. "However, I'm afraid I cannot agree to this at this time." The smile slides off of his face and I watch as his eyes grow hard.

"Why not?" he asks.

"Because I am busy," I say clearly. "I have no desire to consider marriage or procreation at this time. You have come to me in the middle of choosing initiates," I don't say that its the precipice of war. "Let me think on it and I will give you an answer."

"When?" he demands and I straighten in my chair.

My voice goes cold. "When I'm ready." I take a deep breath. "Did you bring me the result of the tests?"

"Yes," he replies, standing up and away from my desk. I've insulted him but I can't bring myself to care. He can assume all he wants that he is the best option, but he makes me sound like a trophy. The best breeding with the best. He's lucky all I do is delay him. "Two of the initiates are on the edge of failing." Hope flutters that it's Vera. It's cruel, but I can't help it. "Derek Wells and Isabelle Olson." I know the names. Isabelle hasn't set foot in the library since the tour, according to the reports. Derek has nearly failed all of the tests so far. "Isabelle passed with a 68 percentage but Derek passed by a mere 52. The others are all far ahead."

"What about the Amity transfer?" I ask.

"She's been improving. Last test places her at a 74 percentage," Riley says. "There more hope for her than the other idiots. Derek, I understand, he used to be Dauntless. All muscle, no brain, but Isabelle is born Erudite. You think she'd know better."

"Hmm," I say, not quite sure how to respond. I type out the results on my computer, filing them with the other ones. They're a low grouping for Erudite initiates. Usually the percentages are higher, averaging in the high 80s. Jeanine won't like that. She'll want better. Nothing that will surpass her, but maybe closer to me. I ranked in the high 90s. It was enough to gain her attention. I look up, away from the computer to see that Riley is still standing there. "Is that all?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

His jaw clenches, but he nods. "Yes."

I wait until he strides out of the office before turning back to my work. Marry him? I scoff to myself. It'd be like marrying Jeanine, and I already felt like I did that considering how often I am in contact with her. I take a deep breath and look back at the results. There are only two days left in the initiation process. Jeanine will get the individual assignments and the test results before making her decision about who will better the faction and who won't. I hope they all run while they can. 

* * *

The eve before the Welcoming Ceremony is a noisy one at my family dinner.

"Are the tests hard?" It's the third time that Brighton's asked about the initiation process. He already knows too much and he's getting irritating. I don't reply, instead grabbing the bowl of vegetables that's on the table. My father is muttering about some machine that broke that morning. They still haven't fixed it.

"Brighton," my mother says, "why don't you tell Amelia about school?"

"Because that's boring," Brighton says. "She's been to school. I want to know how to score high on the initiation. It'll be my turn soon."

"Not for a couple more years," I say. Brighton frowns at me and I stop myself from rolling my eyes. "You'll be fine. I could test you now and you'd probably rank higher than some of them." My mother throws a disapproving look at me for talking about it but Brighton's face lights up. It's worth it.

"I heard that Riley Givens stopped by your office today," my father speaks up suddenly. I look at him and he's watching me carefully. I stuff food in my mouth and chew, trying to keep my annoyance from showing. I don't know how he knows about it, but my mother looks intrigued. It feels like more weight is pressing down on me. My lips press together as I think about it.

"Yes," I admit, "he did. He proposed."

"Really?" My mother asks. "Did he say why?" I look over at Brighton whose face is scrunched up. It matched how I felt.

"He thinks that since we're both high up in Erudite, it would be a beneficial match. Apparently our children would benefit greatly from our genes." My mother has a calculating look in her eye. I hope she doesn't push it. There's too much that I have to worry about and most of it she can't know. I can't explain to her why I'm not interested.

"I hope you said no," Brighton says. I look at him in surprise. "I don't like him."

"I can't say I do either," I agree. "I've barely spoken to him before today. He was rather...presumptuous." It's the best way to describe him. Once again, I'm thankful that I wasn't born Candor. They'd see through me instantly.

"He has a point though," my father says. I wish he'd drop it. "I'm not saying marry him, but look around. You're getting older."

I sigh. "I'm aware of that, thank you." He smiles at me suddenly and I feel myself relax at his teasing. "Are you looking for another son?"

"Hey!" Brighton protests.

"No," my father says. "My children are my greatest creation." A rush of affection spreads through me. I smile back at him. I was worried that this dinner would be as strained as the previous ones but the distraction of the initiates proves to be helpful for once.

"And mine," my mother agrees. They make eye contact over the table and smile softly at one another. It's sweet. For a moment, I find myself wondering if I could ever find anyone like that. If I make it through this, I could find someone who was sweet and easily distracted. Someone who focused more on his work than on me.

"Ew," Brighton says. "Can you save that for when I'm not here?" My mother laughs. 

* * *

There's a loud, pounding knock at the door. I look around, surprised. No one ever comes to visit my family during dinner.

"Brighton," my mother says. "Go see who it is."

Brighton grumbles about being the youngest, but his curiosity is betrayed by the quickness of his movements.

It's silent around the table. I can hear Brighton talking to whoever is at the door, but I don't hear the reply. Is it one of his friends? I look at my father curiously but he shrugs. I try not to frown. I hate not knowing something.

"She's in the...hey!" Brighton calls out. I hear feet coming down the hall, the steps too heavy to be my brothers. Eric appears in the doorway, smirking as soon as he sees me. Brighton is looking at me from behind him. The fury that I feel is almost overwhelming. I stand up quickly.

"What," I demand, "are you doing here?" He should not be here. It was bad enough he knew I had a brother, but now he knows where my family lives. Fear builds in me. I don't trust him and I don't know what he can do with this information.

"You said to inform you immediately," Eric says. He's taunting me again. I knew that word would cause problems, but I never anticipated this. I think quickly. I am used to people trying to use me for Jeanine, but nothing like this.

"Amelia," my mother stands from the table, breaking the tension that has formed between Eric and I. I want to tell my family to hide, to leave the room while I deal with him so they're not exposed to him. I don't break eye contact though. "Who is this?" Eric smiles at her suddenly and I'm thrown by the difference it makes on his face. He looks pleasant. He'd be attractive if I didn't know him better. If my memories of him weren't filled with fear. The thought churns in my stomach.

"I'm Eric, ma'am," he says, moving forward and offering his hand to shake. She does so and my father stands up from the table to greet him. I have to stop myself from yelling at them to stop. "I'm sorry for intruding, but Amelia and I have some business to take care of."

"Of course," my father says, but my mother looks at me with questions in her eyes.

"What type of business?" Brighton suddenly speaks up. He's looking at Eric with open curiosity. "Does it have to do with Jeanine?" Eric turns to look at me and answers the questions. I'm tense, prepared to pounce if he makes a move towards Brighton. His tone is friendly though.

"Dauntless and Erudite have always been close," he says. He doesn't break eye contact with me and I have to hold back the urge to hit him when he smirks at me. "We're just bridging the gap that's left."

"What does that mean?" Brighton asks. I act before Eric can answer again.

"Excuse me," I mutter to them, moving forward and grabbing Eric's arm. He follows willingly as I pull him out of my parent's home.

I turn on him as soon as the door closes behind us. "What are you doing here?" I try to keep my voice down. My family is already going to ask questions. I don't need to add more fuel to their fire.

"You said to inform you immediately." He smirks at me, arms folding across his chest. I glance at the muscles in his arms, which suddenly seem to stand out so much more than before. I ignore it.

"Yes," I say and poke him in the chest. "Which means sending me a message, not showing up at my parents house!" I'm too loud. I take a deep breath, trying to calm down.

"Would you rather I showed up at yours?" He has that amused look on his face and I want to wipe it off. He knows where I live. The thought makes me shudder. That would have been worse. The people in my building were solitary and unlikely to get involved if he threatened me again.

"No," I say. "I'd rather you message me."

"Your codes are deficient," he says lightly. "I didn't trust it." Any chance of calming down is gone. Anger wells up in me.

"My codes are not deficient!" I practically snarl. It's alarming how easy he seems to get under my skin. I pull back, trying to regain control but he has that intense look in his eyes again and I suddenly feel like prey. My heart is racing. "Those codes," I say, trying to appear unaffected, "were approved by Jeanine herself. They are not deficient."

"I must have been mistaken then," he says it like it's nothing. Like he hasn't just insulted my intelligence but he's watching me carefully.

"Indeed," I grind out. "You can go now. I got the message." I point the way towards the nearest train tracks.

"No," he says before moving closer to me. I inhale sharply and instinctively move back.

"No?"

"No." He doesn't elaborate.

It's almost like a dance. He moves closer and I move back towards my parent's house. It only lasts a few steps before my back hits the wall. I inwardly berate myself for cornering myself. I stand up straight, unwilling to back down any further. His arms rise up and his hands rest on either side of my head as he steps forward. I'm trapped.

"When can we expect you?" he asks, his voice low. My heart is pounding. I feel like he surrounds me. His body is almost touching mine and he smells like smoke and sweat. Heat flares through me unexpectedly. I glare up at him, annoyed at the cage he makes.

"Not for a couple days," I say. "We have initiations to finish." He tilts his head slightly.

"Good," he says smugly "So do we." My jaw clenches and I have to quell the frustration I feel.

"Good, we'll arrange it as usual."

"Hmm," he says. It's not quite an agreement.

"You can leave now," I tell him. It feels like a stare down, both of us refusing to break eye contact. He leans forward and I tense, unsure suddenly as to what he's going to do. He moves slightly to the right, past my face and I feel his lips brush my ear before I hear him.

"Don't accept the proposal."

I reel back and my head slams into the wall behind me. The flash of pain is enough to distract me as Eric pushes himself away, laughing. How does he know that? That information was new. He walks away from me, heading in the direction of the train. "'Til next time, Amelia," he calls out. I lean against the house, heart pounding as if it's about to burst out of my chest. I feel like I can barely breathe. My theory about remembering my brother from school had been disproven the moment he stepped into my parent's home. He has to be getting information, but how? 

* * *

My mind is whirling over possibilities, trying to figure out the source, as I step back into my parent's home. They barrage me with questions as soon as I enter the dining room again. I can see the nervousness in my father's eyes, like the thought of me working with the Dauntless doesn't agree with him. My mother is watching me carefully, but Brighton looks cautious. The impulsiveness of the Dauntless never sat well with him.

"How do you know a Dauntless?" Brighton asks. "What work was he talking about?"

"Are you okay?" my mother's voice is calm and steady. A lifeboat in the chaos of my mind. I look up at her and I realize I'm still standing in the doorway of the dining room.

"Yes," I say. I sit down at my seat and continue eating, ignoring my mother's concerned stare. Brighton, seeing that I won't answer, starts telling his own theories, but I ignore him. I can picture Eric's face above mine, that irritating smirk on his lips. He had leaned forward...and I felt oddly disappointed, but I can't explain why. Frustration builds up in me and I stab at the left over meat on my plate with my fork. I have to cut off the source of his information. He already knows too much about me. I need to find a way to make him stop.

I stand up abruptly, cutting off my father who was speaking. "I'm sorry," I say. Brighton looks intrigued at my interruption but my parents look slightly more concerned. "I have to go."

"Why?" my father asks. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I reply. "I'm sorry." I leave before they can ask anything else. It's the first time that I leave one of our dinners early with no explanation. 

* * *

My apartment was a secure place that I could be myself. As I step into it, it doesn't feel like it used to. The knowledge that Eric knows where I live taints it. The idea that he could show up at any moment leaves me uneasy. I look out the windows and lock the door. The unease fades but doesn't disappear.

I sit down at my desk and grab a piece of paper. The effort of handwriting might calm my mind. I need a plan, some way to get his attention off of me. His persistence has been unwavering so far, but it needs to stop. I have to find another way to deal with him. He's proven that he's not above using scare tactics at my expense for his own amusement, but I don't know though if that's what he's after. If it's only for fun. I jot down notes on the paper before pausing. He knew about the proposal...but why does he care? Why does he want me to refuse it? There's a part of me that's half tempted to say yes to Riley just to spite Eric, but then I'd be stuck with Riley. It's a no-win situation.

Suddenly, I'm determined. I will not get stuck between Riley and Eric, not when my life is already on the line. I need to find his source of information and the easiest way to do that will be to find out who knew Riley was going to propose. The second course of action would be to find out exactly what Eric wants. The sooner I know, the faster I can find a way to end his interest. The initiations are over tomorrow. I don't have a lot of time.

**[tbc]**


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I know many of you have been waiting patiently for an update. I'm glad to say "here it is!"

I'm sorry about the delay. Life caught up to me, I got snagged by writer's block and then ended up writing more of an original novel I'm working on than this. Luckily, I am back on track, and with my beta's help...have we got things in store for you! I'm sorry to say that there's no Eric in this, but it's important. Trust me.

Thank you to all of my reviewers and those of you who favourite and follow this. The reviews inspire me! You guys inspire me! Thank you so much! Also, in case you don't know, I post update info, fanart that people are sending me (which I still can't believe) and more on my writing tumblr. Link is in the profile. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

"And so, we welcome you as you pass from initiates to full members of Erudite. As you join us, working towards the betterment of our society, remember our manifesto. Remember intelligence is a gift, not a right. It must not be wielded not as a weapon but as a tool for the betterment of others(1)." Jeanine pauses and both the members and initiates of Erudite clap. She smiles at the large group. The Welcoming Ceremony is held in entrance hall to the building; it's the largest area that's available and most of Erudite is in attendance. The initiates are standing at the front of the crowd. Dante and Isabelle are missing. They were sent to the factionless sector last night, to be useful despite failing.

I'm standing off to the side, watching Jeanine interact with the crowd. They hang off every word, even the initiates. I watch as Vera, the suspected Divergent, looks proud. Proud at her achievement, for making it through the initiation. My stomach clenches. She should have run, but I could say the same for myself. I thought I was being smart when I made my choice, hiding in the lion's den, but I'm beginning to wonder what I'm giving up for my safety.

"I expect you will make us all proud." Jeanine finishes, and the crowd claps again. I missed the rest of her speech, but it doesn't matter. I helped write it. Jeanine walks over to me, standing straight as she watches the initiates—now members—get separated into the different departments of Erudite. The leaders of each section will take them and place them where they will be the most useful. The choice of the sectors was made by Jeanine herself after looking through the results. Vera gets placed in the science division because the observations and hypotheses she made about the serums has intrigued Jeanine, even if she might be Divergent.

"Amelia," Jeanine says quietly. Her eyes never leave the stage. "Explain to me why Eric was seen at your parent's home." Panic lodged a lump in my throat. Of course she would know. It wasn't often that a Dauntless roamed Erudite at night. I take a deep breath.

"He came to inform me that the construction is complete. They're ready for the next step," I say. She doesn't look at me. Oh god. I mentally check back over my tone. I didn't falter. She had to believe me.

"Our mission, Amelia, is of the utmost importance. It comes before any personal attachments, do you understand?" Her voice is stern, despite the smile on her face that I know is fake as she continues watching the end of the ceremony. I don't know why she's bring this up now, not when there are more private places to speak. Maybe she's expecting something, some reaction that I wasn't planning to give. The idea of a personal attachment to Eric makes me want to cringe, but her statement invokes fear in me. Personal attachments included my family.

"Yes, ma'am," I say softly. She turns and looks at me. Her eyes are hard as she analyses my face and it feels like forever before she nods.

"Good." She looks back at the crowd before turning away. The Ceremony is finished. "Come," she says before heading towards the elevators. I look back at the crowd. Only a few people have noticed Jeanine leaving. Riley is one of them. I've avoided his glances through the ceremony. He's still waiting for an answer, going so far as to send me a reminder that today is the last day of the initiations. I still need to find out who knew about the proposal. I turn away and quickly follow her.

* * *

Jeanine leads me to her office.

"Sit," she says, motioning me to the chair across from her desk. I do and wait. Once she's settled in her chair, she turns on her computer and looks at me. Her stare is piercing, and I stop myself from fidgeting under it. "I want you to watch this ...Vera carefully. Go to the gathering tonight and see what you can find out about her. Befriend her if you have to, understood?" Befriend her? It suddenly feels like too much. The girl is only a couple years younger than me. I don't want to be the cause of her death. I don't want to subject her to Jeanine. I nod anyways. "Good. Now that the room is ready, arrange for us to inspect it. I want to ensure it is up to our standards."

"Yes, ma'am," I say.

"Aside from the inspection, clear my schedule for the next two days. We are close, Amelia, to finishing the first serum for Divergents. It will be ready for trials soon." I can barely breathe.

"That's good," I remarkably manage to sound normal. "How will you be testing it?"

"We have volunteers," Jeanine says lightly, "both in Erudite and Dauntless. We'll start with them and move on to the Divergents we find. When you speak to Eric, remind him that I want a report on the suspected Divergent in his training."

I make a note of it in my tablet. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Inform me when the inspection is. For now, go to the gathering. I'll be in the lab." She waves at me to leave and I do so. Part of me wants to run, to see how fast I can get away from this place and Jeanine, but I can't. As soon as I'm gone, she'll suspect why. I can't leave my family, not to her, and I can't sign my own death warrant. I straighten my spine as I head towards the elevators and take a deep breath. I am more concerned about what I can do. I can befriend a new member of Erudite.

* * *

After the Welcoming Ceremony, there is a gathering arranged in one of the lobbies. It provides a less formal setting where those in the faction welcome new members. There have been arguments in the past over whether or not it is necessary, after all, a gathering takes time away from work. However, the sociologists have made it clear that in order to have a successful faction, there needs to be a healthy foundation for all members. By introducing the newest members to those already well founded in the faction, it creates a comfort level in the new members. This ensures that the members start work comfortably and with a lack of fear or hesitance towards their superiors and companions.

The lobby is quiet, filled with low murmurs as small groups of people talk to each other. The groupings are fairly obvious. Many Erudites stay within their own research area, presumably to talk about more research. I catch sight of Vera standing to the side, talking to one of the scientists. I can't remember his name. I walk up to them and the conversation stops at the sight of me. It doesn't phase me. It happens often, particularly with those who have high ambitions, those who want to be on Jeanine's good side. The scientist smiles widely.

"Ms. Elswood!" he says, offering his hand to shake. I take it and offer a small smile of my own. "It's wonderful to see you again." He glances at Vera who's looking at him in surprise. "This is Amelia Elswood, Jeanine's personal assistant. She was chosen by Jeanine herself." I try not to sigh. He sounds like he's proud of me, but considering I don't know who he is, there's only one reason why. "How is Jeanine?" the scientist asks. "I hear she's working a new serum. I'm sure it's fantastic, surely going to do wonders for our society like she already has. I've been working on something myself," I have to cut him off.

"I'm sure it's as astounding as you say," I tell him quickly. "However, I need to speak with Ms. Rayne, if you don't mind."

"Of course not!" His eyes widen and he smiles at Vera. "If Amelia wishes to speak to you, you can't let her wait." I push down the annoyance at the familiarity he shows and watch as he looks back at me. "It was lovely to see you again, perhaps you could—"

"Excuse me," I say, cutting him off. I grab Vera's arm and move her away from the scientist. Once we're far enough away, I let go of her. "I'm sorry about that," I say, "but it I let him continue we'd never get free." She looks like she's trying not to laugh. "As you've undoubtedly heard, I am Amelia Elswood," I hold out my hand to her.

"Vera Rayne," her voice is soft, but her handshake is strong. "Is there a reason you've sought me out?" I look at her closely. Her blond hair is pulled back in a typical Erudite bun. She's strong, years from working on Amity fields have toned her muscles, but small. She's my height.

"Yes," I admit. "It's not often we get Amity transfers. I'm curious." If she is Divergent, my questions should make her nervous. I want her to run before they decide what to do with her. She doesn't falter under my stare though.

"So was I. I wanted to know everything," she says softly. She's watching me carefully though, as if expecting me to jump out at her. I was tempted to do it, just to see how'd she'd react. Was this how I looked to Eric? I forced the thought away.

"Such as?" I prompt her. She smiles then, relaxing slightly.

"How the water pumps worked, and how the rain was caught in order to be used again. If the field were arranged a certain way for a reason and why some plants grew faster than others. I did my independent project on the advancements of the serums through the years and the effects we could enhance." I know that already. Her assignment has gone through me to get to Jeanine. She has some good ideas, but I don't know if they'll be enough to save her.

I smile at her. "So the tests showed Erudite and...did it all of a sudden make sense?" She looks a little confused and I see her shift her stance. She looks nervous, but I can't tell if it's because of her possible Divergence or if she's ashamed at choosing a new faction. Some transfers are. "I ask because I've always been Erudite. The idea of changing factions is foreign to me."

"I think," she says slowly, "that I always knew I didn't belong. When the results came, I just knew I couldn't stay there anymore." I nod slowly and smile.

"Well, we are glad to have you," I tell her. "I'm sure you'll enjoy it and will work hard." She nods enthusiastically.

"Oh, I will! I can't wait to start learning from the scientists here." She's almost a little too enthusiastic, but I let it slide.

"Good," I say. "Welcome to Erudite, Vera. If you need anything, let me know." I smile again before I turn away. It's a good first step. I don't want to push too hard. It will either cause her to retreat from me or make her suspicious of me. I can't have that.

I'm halfway out of the lobby when I see Riley. I change direction, heading right to him and when he sees me, he pulls away from the people he's talking to and greets me with a smile.

"Amelia! Have you considered my offer?"

"Not yet," I say and watch as the smile slides from his face. "I did have a question though." There's a pause before he nods. There's no easy way to phrase it. "Who did you tell you were proposing?"

He blinks in shock before his eyes narrow. I seem to have caught him off guard. "Why?" he demands. I shouldn't have to explain myself to him, but I do.

"My father asked me about it that very night." It's a lucky truth. Riley fixes his glasses, biding his time before he answers. He doesn't stumble over his words.

"You have to understand, Amelia." I can already tell that I will not be impressed by his answer. "I assumed that you would say yes, there is no reason you shouldn't," he looks at me over his glasses. I stare back. My face is blank, hiding the annoyance that is building with each word. "We are well matched."

"Who did you tell?" I ask again. My patience is running thin and he can hear it in my voice.

"My colleagues," he says. I clench my jaw. He's one of the top educators. His colleagues were more numerous than I had hoped for. If I asked too many of them, their curiosity would spark. I can barely quell the frustration I feel.

"Thank you," I grind out. I turn away from him and head towards the exit.

"Amelia!" He calls out to me, and when I look back, he continues. "I thought you had an answer."

"Initiations have only just ended, Riley." I leave then and don't look back.

**[tbc]**


End file.
